Ami's Odyssey
by Queen
Summary: Her Mercury Crystal stolen, Ami must set out to take back what is hers.... (complete)
1. Prologue

Ami's Odyssey   
_second edition_   


_A loftier Argo cleaves the main,_   
_Fraught with a later prize;_   
_Another Orpheus sings again,_   
_And loves, and weeps, and dies._   
_A new Ulysses leaves once more_   
_Calypso for his native shore._

_From, "Hellas: Two Choruses" by Percy Bysse Shelley_

  
  
  
  
  
  


Prologue-   


Guide my hand, Muse, and let me tell the tale of the one called the Soldier of Water. In jealous rage, Poseidon has lost his city to the wisdom of another, and seeks revenge against the goddess Athena. He searches through time, and finds his champion. Paint the words, Muse, on the page, of that girl who incurred Poseidon's wrath, and who braved his seas to take back what is hers.... 

Silently walked a solitary figure in the halls of time. Mists of purple and grey shrouded the daughter of Chronos, sighing past her as she patrolled her protectorate. Into the misty halls, a brightness of silvery blue coalesced, streaking forward at a lightning pace down the hall to where the lone senshi paced. Centuries of silence had attuned her to the ways of this strange place. The disturbance in the mists, the other presence, alerted her. She turned, Timestaff in hand, to see a figure emerge from the ball lightning, a male form, grinning with a lopsided smile. 

"Pluto!" he greeted her, folding his arms and leaping lithely into the air, where he hovered, legs crossed at the ankles. "Got some news for you." 

Sailor Pluto arched an eyebrow. There was little by way of 'news' that he could tell her. But, stoic as usual, she waited for him to speak. 

Finally realizing that he would not be getting a response, he shrugged, yawning. Then his chocolatey eyes brightened as he told her, "Selene has given birth. The Moon Kingdom has an heir." 

This was good news. But Pluto, knowing the person she now faced, hesitated. A word of caution would be said now, to ensure the future. "A son. Excellent. Is he healthy?" 

"Perfect. Selene couldn't be happier." 

It was Pluto's reaction to his response that alerted him to his mistake. She leaned forward, bringing her staff to bear, preparing to call out her command. He grinned wickedly, and with the infinite speed that had so swiftly brought him to her halls, withdrew a hand from behind his back, a pouch in palm. The leather bag was thrown as Pluto began her whisper, the leather thongs opening and spraying a dusty substance into Pluto's face. "Dead Scr..." her words faded as her eyelids slipped down, her grip on the Timestaff loosening. Her knees buckled as she fought the powder, but it settled in her garnet eyes, and she collapsed to the ground, the Timestaff clattering down beside her. 

The young man chuckled lightly, levitating over Pluto's lightly slumbering body. "So, the heir is going to be a girl, then. Well, old Sea Brains said you were smart. Gotta love Morpheus for sleeping powder, though," he said, shaking his head. He shrugged, then floated over Pluto's silently slumbering body, and plucked a key from its chain.   
  
  


~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~ 

  
  
  


Hi everyone!   
Welcome to '_Ami's Odyssey_,' a reworking of my second fanfic ever. At the time of writing '_Amy's Odyssey,_' I had only read some of the _Sailormoon_ manga, and surfed the net for information on the series. I was only just getting to know the Japanese names of the characters and their attacks. This fic was sort of a transitory stage in what I knew about SM. Hopefully, with this edition of 'Ami's Odyssey,' I can clean up some discrepancies and get all the dub names into the original format. I don't intend to rewrite the fic, but I do want to clear up some of the problems with it that have been bugging me since I wrote it.   
Basic information about the fic: All excerpts from the "_Odyssey_" are from the Robert Fagles verse translation, 1996, Penguin Books. _Sailor Moon_ and everything related to it belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Anime, DiC Entertainment and other powerful people with lawyers scarier than any youma, so please do not sue me.   
The characters of legend belong to the world, except for Athena, who belongs to herself, because she lives in my bookcase and yells at me to write.   
I also recently opened up a mailing list for my fanfics- ::coughcoughhinthintplugplug:: if you're curious, check it out here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scriptoriumfanfics/ 

Happy reading.   
~Queen 

iceaffinity@hotmail.com   
  
  
  


Original Read me and Disclaimer-   
Hello...and welcome to "Amy's Odyssey."   
The quote in chapt. 2 is from the "Metamorphoses" by Ovid, trans. by A.D. Melville, Oxford ed. 1986. 

This is just general info. The song in chapt. 5 is "Dante's Prayer" music and lyrics by Loreena McKennitt, from the "Book of Secrets," and the song in chapt. 7 is from "All Souls Night" also by Loreena McKennitt, from "The Visit." (Can you tell who I was listening to when I wrote this?)   
I read the English translation mangas, so all attacks, nicknames, (Bunny, V-babe) are from there. Usagi/Serena is ALWAYS called 'Bunny'. And an *astrix* means an italic, usually Amy's thoughts.   
Sailor Moon and everything related to it belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Anime, DiC Entertainment, Pocket Mixx and other powerful people with lawyers scarier than any Negaverse monster, so please do not sue me.   
The characters of legend belong to the world, except for Athena, who belongs to herself, because she lives in my bookcase and yells at me to write.   
Finally, please e-mail me! I would love to hear from everyone!   
My address is queen2126@hotmail.com   
Ja ne, and enjoy!   
-Queen   
  



	2. Water

Ami's Odyssey   
__

_We are the sea._   
_We are the planet's dual-purpose organ of reproduction and reverence._   
_The trinity of sun, moon, and earth exchange their sacred energies through the linkage we provide._   
_We acknowledge no limits, merely impediments that we continually whittle away._   
_We are a prism through whose liquid lens the colorful diversity of the planet is refracted._   
_We contain the images of Atlantis and Lemuria and Mu, of transoceanic Phoenician trading vessels and the Titanic and the five lost planes of Flight 19._   
_Aswarm with life, we think trillions of versions of thought._   
_Our sentience is in your blood, in everything that contains water._   
_We are the sea._   
_We do not see humans as humans perceive themselves._   
_The creature called Man appears to us as a core of heat giving off radiance in the warm spectrum._   
_Man is a seeker of solid surfaces, a self-replenishing organism capable of creating toxic wastes._   
_Man is a cancer that crawled from our womb._   
_We are watching. We are aware._   
_We are the sea._   
_-From "The Elementals" by Morgan Llywelyn_   
__

  
__   
  


Chapter 1- Water   
  


_And again the suitors hurled their whetted shafts_   
_ but Athena sent the better part of the salvo wide-_   
_ one of them hit the jamb of the great hall's doors,_   
_ another the massive door itself, and the heavy bronze point_   
_ of a third ashen javelin crashed against the wall.___

And so Mizuno Ami closed her book, running her hand down the cover on the front. A black Grecian vase with men running hand in hand graced the white cover, a scene from the "_Odyssey_" that she read. The paper was thick and white, creamy, with the uneven cut edge of a first print book, edges dyed a funny brownish orange color. She sat up in her bed, shifting the waves of covers so she could lean against her pillow more easily. She sighed once, adjusting the neckline of the oversized tee shirt she wore to bed so it would not pull so tightly against the skin of her neck. Her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose, and she pushed them back up. When they slid down again, she sighed and removed them, placing them on the nightstand that doubled as a bookcase beside her. She set the book down and looked out her window, the blinds up, revealing a starry night sky, the glow of the moon bathing the buildings in her vision in silvery light. She checked the digital green glow of her alarm clock beside her bed. 11:52, it read.   
  
_ Mom is at work. Midnights, all week. I probably won't even get to see her. I hardly ever do anymore. Not with my school and her work. I'll leave a note for her in the morning, before I head out. Test in trigonometry tomorrow. I should study for that, but...a new verse translation of the Odyssey...I've read Rouse's but I always prefer the verse. It seems...I don't know. Closer, somehow, to the original, in that format. I'll look over it again in the morning. Pythagorean theorem. More Greek stuff. Algebra and Physics and the Odyssey. I'll read a few more pages, then go to bed. But first, I'm getting thirsty._   
  
Ami tossed the stormy blue covers off her, and stretched her back a moment, then silently padded her way into the kitchen, taking a glass from the cabinet and some ice from the freezer. She checked the fridge for anything interesting, finding only a lack of food, except for some salami, which did not look very appetizing at nearly midnight. She shut the refrigerator door with her hip and poured herself a glass of water, then took it out to the balcony of their apartment, the pane rattling as she slid it back. She leaned against the wrought iron rail, sipping the ice water quietly, her mind bubbling with debate about the Hellenic and Hellenistic periods of Greek literature, sometimes a stray thought about Pythagoras and mathematics dribbling in. 

  
Drop. 

Dripdrop. 

Dropdropdrop. 

Splat. 

Drop. 

With a sigh, she finished the water, the ice ringing hollowly against the sides of the glass as she slid the doorway closed behind her, her bare feet crossing the carpet to the kitchen where the sink was dripping. She dumped the ice into the disposal, then put the glass away in the dishwasher. Turning her attention to the leaky faucet, she jiggled the knob a bit, turning it on, then off again. It remained quiet. She pushed a tangle of hair away from her eyes as she turned to leave the kitchen. 

The sound of water sprayed out of the bathroom showerhead, hitting the bathtub, and water began to hiss out of the sink in there. Frowning at the sudden plumbing problems, Ami whirled when the kitchen faucet turned itself on, blasting dully against the hollow metal of the sink. Water frothed over the rim, spilling onto the linoleum tiles. Ami backed away, gasping as her mind realized she was under attack. 

The water sluiced over the floor, pooling rapidly around her feet. She leapt away, beginning to grab for the Mercury Crystal that awaited her command in its tiny pocket of space. As her fingers closed around it, the water reeled, shooting up her legs and arms, grabbing her and pulling her down. She struggled, clutching at her crystal, as the waters swelled up over her head, filling her eyes and mouth as she tried to call out her phrase.   
Water gurgled in her ears as she felt herself begin to disintrigrate, and she had a moment to wonder, somewhere in her mind,   
_And_   
_ So_   
_ I_   
_ Wonder_   
_ How_   
_ Deep_   
_ The_   
_ Rabbit_   
_ Hole_   
_ Goes...._   
And she was swallowed up by her own element.   


Ami was aware that she had reformed when a wall of frigid water blasted into her, the tiny pellets of air that were entrapped in the froth pummeled her face as she tried to cling onto the precious oxygen in her lungs, which sang for breath. A sound of suction roared around her as she was pulled downward, twisting. She hit a thermal line of water, and through squeezed eyes believed that she was being pulled very rapidly along inside it. A cold wave hit her again as bubbles raced against her body, flinging her hair in a watery halo around her head, snapping it back. _Please don't let me die.…___

She struck another freezing blast as she was sucked upward, the roaring intensifying, and she became aware of hands, grabbing at her. She dared to open her eyes, and saw scaly heads before her, with nebulous blue eyes, and a dorsal fin that was so long and loose it waved in the currents as hair. Their hands were webbed, and they, like a human, had two legs, and were clothed in flowing silks. There were several of these, each slightly different from one another, helping her, lifting her upward as she broke through the surface of a glass lake.   
  
She spat water from her mouth as she smeared water from her eyes, spluttering and kicking to keep her head above the water line. She waded her way to the lip of the pool, the water rippling behind her. She pulled herself over and collected herself, staring at the place she had arrived. A massive domed ceiling swelled above her, wrinkled where endless droplets of water had carved into the rock. She twisted around to take in the full area, letting her gaze sweep across everything. Light danced through the water around her, fluxing on the floor and walls, reflecting on her face. To her right, a hole arched, steps leading upward from the ground. Her eyes cast forward again, to where a platform had been set, a throne of coral and limestone and seashells atop it. A man sat on it, in the robes of the ancient Greeks, shimmering waves of azure silk, rippling like the rivers of Babylon. A blue beard flowed over his broad chest, and a crown of starfish arms was settled on his brow. His arms were bare, showing slight rainbow scaling on his forearms. In his hand, he held a trident, the pole tapping the floor beside him, the three pronged points stretching upward towards the ceiling. He leaned forward when he saw her, his deepsea eyes swimming with thought as he took in her appearance. 

Ami suddenly felt the cold, and became aware that her thin nightgown was wet and clinging to her body. She curled up tightly, wrapping her arms around her as she returned the gaze of the lord of the seas. 

Reaching a conclusion, she managed to say, "Poseidon," holding herself tighter. 

He smiled through his beard, and the pearly teeth glinted in the dancing lights. At the sound of a chuckle, the scene behind him shifted, and Ami saw that it was not a wall, but a massive creature, scaly skinned and dark. It was held behind a wall of water, bubbles rising from a slightly open mouth. "You like my Kraken?" Ami said nothing, only staring. "You must be cold, water soldier," he lifted a hand, and from the air he seemed to conjure a robe, which swirled around her, fluffy and thick. As it settled, her teeth began to chatter, and she clamped down to stop it. Poseidon's smile grew wider, and he chuckled once. The visible eye of the Kraken opened to reveal a cat slit redness, and it shifted again, the bubbles rising thickly around its muzzle. "I've searched very hard for you, water soldier," Poseidon told Ami. She held his gaze nervously, and unfolded her legs, managing to her feet to face him. He leaned back in his throne. "Do you know why?" he finally asked. 

She replied that she did not. 

He touched his beard lightly with his free hand, stroking the crisp blue curls. "Long ago, at least, to your way of reckoning time, something very dear was taken from me. A city, on a hill that I loved to look at. There was a village there, a small one. A man was the city's leader, named Cecrops. Known for level headedness. A relative of mine, she stole that place from me, gave Cecrops and his people an enchanted olive that made them choose her as their patron. Do you know of the city, my Ami?" 

"Athens," she responded, hugging the robe to her. 

"Yes, Athens. City of Athena, it is called. It is growing, you know. Many live there now. Pity. Taking over my hill. My creatures," he gestured aimlessly at the slumbering Kraken behind him, "they are powerful, yes, but...they lack cohesion, I'm afraid. No one to lead them. Command them. The nymphs and naiads of the seas are too self possessed to lead. I need a water element, my Ami, such as you. Someone to serve as my second in command, to lead in the field. I went through a great deal of trouble to get you here," he took a small, gleaming silver object from the arm of the chair beside him and held it for her to see. It was a key, beautifully curled into the shape of a heart. "I have watched you fight, water warrior. I am pleased with your knowledge, your skills, your mind. It is you that I wish to accomplish my goal for me." 

"I will not destroy Athens." 

The blackblue eyes swelled as he narrowed them, the key caught in his fist tightly. "You are my element. You belong to me. Your loyalty is to me, the god of the waters." 

Softly, Ami replied to him, "My loyalty is to the Princess of the Moon, and you are not her." 

A rumble shuddered the ground under her, and she stumbled for her footing. The robe slipped to the ground. 

"Princess of the Moon! You are my element, and I am your master, no whelp of Selene's unborn may overtake my import! My Ami, you belong to me. I ask you again, do not defy me. You are my chosen warrior. Will you obey my command?" 

"No." 

The Earth Shaker stood from his throne, the trident glowing as he struck it against the limestone floor. A jagged line ripped through the ground, and Ami staggered out of its way, reaching for her Mercury crystal. "Mercury Crystal Power! Make-up!" The roaring tempest of water engulfed her, and her nightgown became her uniform, the long blue bow appearing, the tiara and the choker. She spun and prepared for attack, looking at the enemy she faced. _My own element...what can water do against water?_ She struck her pose and cried out, "Champion of Wisdom and Justice, Sailor Mercury! And on behalf of Mercury, I will not allow you to kill the innocent people of Athens, in any century! Shabon Spray!" 

The room was enveloped in the milky white fog, whorls curling around them thickly, impenetrably. Mercury backed away from where she stood, heading towards the staircase she had seen behind her. "Wisdom and Justice!" Poseidon thundered in fury. "Athena's domain! What have you, a water element, to do with her?" The fog around her evaporated, at his command, and left only a thin mist. Poseidon stood only a few feet before her, the trident aimed at her heart. 

_ How much of me does he know? That I am a senshi, yes, but not the defender of justice and wisdom? What kind of god is this?___

"My duty is to protect the people of Earth, not to destroy them! That is my duty and mission! Mercury Harp! Come to my hand!" The winged harp formed, and Mercury spun as she grabbed it. As she returned to face the Earth Shaker, she found that he had moved closer to her, and had left the trident behind on the ground. She began her attack, moving to strike the chords that would vibrate the rhapsody, but he grabbed her, ripping it from her hands, grabbing at the bow that was on her chest. His hands closed over the heart shaped brooch, and it began to glow blue, shimmering with the facets of the Mercury Crystal. She locked her hands on his wrists, trying to force him to release her. The crystal shone more brightly, blazing under the touch of the sea god. 

"Attack me? Pathetic girl! You are mine to command! If you will not obey me, then your power is mine!" There was the sound of ripping, and Mercury screamed as something was torn from her chest. In Poseidon's hands, her Mercury Crystal glowed in a globe of water. Her uniform, ragged, blurred and she stood again in her pajamas. Weakly, she staggered back, her powers stolen. "I protect what is mine, girl. And I destroy what is not. You, and all who you love, shall be punished by the Earth Shaker! Go!"   
  


He lifted a hand, and she was blasted back by the spray, thrown into the pool, the water draining around her ears as she was pushed back into the thermal river of water, blown across the seas of Poseidon. 

She fought the blackness that swirled around the peripherals of her vision, and clutched at her throat, which wept for air. The waters streamed across her body, and she knew she traveled far in the waves. Hands, again, grabbed at her, and she saw the scaled faces appear. She tried to fight, knowing these were nereids, sea nymphs promised to Poseidon and his power. But the faces smiled at her, and whispered to her, "Breathe, sister. All is well. Breathe," Ami choked as she kicked, fighting her way to the surface. Distantly, she saw a glimmer above her. She kicked harder, beating her way upward, and the glimmer became a glow, a shine. The hands of the nereids released her then, and her head broke through the waters, gulping the sweet air that awaited her. 

She tried to float, but found her strength too drained to roll in the water. Gentle hands clasped her again, and she had no will to resist. She let the darkness in her eyes overwhelm her. 

Under her feet, she felt pebbles touch her, and the fingers that had wrapped under her arms let go, letting her float forward. Sand stuck to her skin, and she pulled herself up the beach a bit, then collapsed, the foam of the water crashing down on her. Her eyes opened and closed several times, bleary with salt spray. She heard the cries of seagulls in the distance, screaming to one another over some lost scrap of food. A bit of kelp lay across her face. In the blackness that swept down over her again, she saw a face, the face of a woman, regal and concerned. 

She felt a hand lift the seaweed from her cheek, and brush back her sandy hair. The woman whispered something in a language Ami did not understand, and somewhere in the back of her analytical mind, she thought, _Sounds Indo-European. The fricitaves are voiced wrong...why am I worrying about this...? I'm so sleepy... don't wake me up...._

Her eyes closed, and the day became a night without stars. 

  
Her eyes slit open narrowly, and her pupils slid from one corner to another, focusing eventually on the shape that was bent over a small hearth. The figure moved, standing, and walked to Ami's side. Her eyes blurred again, but a touch from the woman's hand brought her back from the rim of unconsciousness. A string of words tripped from the woman's lips, and she lifted her eyebrows concertedly. Ami shook her head and tapped her throat, miming that she could not speak. The woman nodded once, then returned to the fire. Ami dizzily sat up, touching her head and squeezing her eyes shut, opening them again after a moment. She took in her surroundings as the solitary figure with her stirred the contents of a copper pot, the ladle banging thinly against the sides as she stirred. 

  
It was a small cottage, with thin walls and thin roof, woven together in the manner of wicker. Rushes were strewn on the cleanly swept floor. The hearth was small, ringed with stones, and a smokehole was pierced in the ceiling to vent. She spotted a large loom in one corner, a shuttle sitting on the stool beside it. The warp and weft of the material was fine, done in shades of blue and red and purple. The image of a man had been sewn into the fabric, his body half complete, holding a grisly snake haired head aloft. 

_ Perseus?___

The woman spoke to her again, standing beside her, holding a small bowl of what appeared to be soup. She urged Ami to take it, and hesitantly, she did. The woman gestured for her to drink, and keeping her eyes on her as she sipped, Ami drank. The woman said several words, and when Ami shook her head, urged her to drink again. Ami frowned, but did so, since she was hungry and the broth was good. Again the woman spoke, as though expecting something. Ami stared at her, but continued to eat. "...me? Are my words clearer now?" 

When Ami dropped the bowl in surprise, the woman grinned, snatching it up as it fell, only allowing a few droplets to slosh out of the bowl and hit the blanket that covered Ami. "Good. That was quick. You must have understood most of rudiments of my language already," with that, the woman stood and took the bowl back to the hearth. Watching the figure carefully, she took in her appearance. 

She was tall, slender with flowing long white dress, golden chord twining around her waist, crisscrossing in Hellenic style. Chestnut colored hair was bound up in a braided knot at the nape of her neck. Her skin was the color of ivory, and she had high cheekbones, defined by a long, straight nose and small, full lips. Under high arching brows, a pair of wide set eyes gleamed. They were the color of moonlit steel, gleaming gently as she returned Ami's gaze. There was a graveness to her features, a steadiness of character that defined her motions. Other than her unusual eye color, she was not exceptionally lovely, but there was a strength about her that Ami found herself marveling at. "Have you seen me well enough?" the woman asked, a touch of humor coloring her voice. The woman turned and began to attend to the hearth fire again. 

Ami placed her feet on the ground, shedding the coverlet. She found that she herself was wearing clothing similar to the woman's, white folds of silky fabric wrapped by a ribbon of silvery blue, with a v-shaped neckline. It doubled in length, the first folds coming to a handspan below her waist, the skirt coming to a few inches above her knees. Her feet accidentally knocked over something as she placed them on the ground. "There are sandals, there, for you," the woman informed her. Ami put them on, taking a moment to figure out how to wrap the silvery laces around her calves. They tied just below her knees.   
"Thank you," Ami told the stranger. 

"It was the least I could do." 

Ami touched the strange white fabric of her clothes. It was soft as silk, but breathed as easily as cotton, and stretched slightly when she pulled at it. 

"I made the clothing. Is it to your liking?" 

"It's lovely. Thank you. Where are we?" 

"Zacynthus. In the Ionian Sea." 

"How...how long have I been here?" 

"You washed up onshore two days ago. I've healed you to the best of my abilities...you may be sore for a day or two, but that will fade in time. You spoke in your dreams, in a language I was unfamiliar with. It sounded familiar, so I bespoke a friend of mine, Ama, to help me interpret. She said it was strange to her as well, yet sounded much like her native tongue. She understood some of the words. I mixed a potion of tongues for you, so that we may speak." 

"You are a sorceress, then?" 

The woman chuckled lightly, the corners of her lips turning upward. She replied, "Something like that." 

Ami took a step away from her bed, folding her arms as though she were cold, and winced as her back tightened. She stretched her neck experimentally.   
"Are you well, Ami? Poseidon threw you far." 

Alarmed, her head snapped up, and she stared at the woman, who only continued to give her an even smile, her grey eyes glinting as she did so. _Those eyes...she knows of Poseidon? How much? The loom...the tapestry on it...woven so beautifully...you can almost see Perseus' muscles flexing as he lifts Medusa's head above him, her hair seems to writhe. Words she cannot understand...how could she speak to someone who knows Japanese, from here in the Ionian Sea? Ama...terasu? The weaving...the stance and strength...those eyes! Flashing eyed, grey eyed, the goddess Athena!___

The look on Ami's face was enough to tell the goddess that she had figured it out. She let out a ringing laugh, and waved a hand carelessly in the air before her. "Don't look so surprised, Ami. Poseidon took you from your time, did he not? The least I could do was ensure your safety. Come. Walk with me on the beach." Athena touched Ami's arm, and led her out the door of the little beach house. Before them sprawled the mass of the Ionian, crystalline in the marine colors of the sea, white waves cresting onto the powdery shore. Thick flora ended at the tidemark, rustling contentedly in the winds that blustered gently through. The sun warmed steadily from above, pressing lightly down on the them. Athena led Ami down to the water's edge and stood there, looking out over the sea. "He has ripped a hole in the fabric of timespace, Ami. Chronos and Rhea are furious. Poseidon took a great risk in bringing you here. Did he say why?" 

"He wanted me to lead his creatures. To destroy Athens." 

A somber smile that rapidly faded answered her, accompanied by silence. Finally, the wise goddess told her, "Yes. I believed it may be somesuch as that. He has never given up taking back my city. His Kraken has failed, many times. Brute strength is not enough to conquer, but enough to make it a very great danger." 

"If you needed to give me that drink to speak to me...how is it that he could?" 

"He summoned you. He most likely had a spell of understanding ready when you arrived. It may be simply that you, like he, are of the water. Of one element." 

"Athena-sama...?" 

Athena, Hope of Soldiers, seemed somewhat bemused at Ami's nervousness. Ami took a breath and plunged ahead. 

"Poseidon had a timekey. I know the woman who is the Guardian of Time...is she hurt? She never would have let anyone take a key willingly." 

"Ah. You speak of Chronos's daughter. Yes, she is well. The key was stolen, by...well, he will be arriving soon, I believe. Your friend, Setsuna, is aiding her parents in patching the rift in the fabric of time. Poseidon has holed himself up on one of his islands, and cannot be found. Rhea came to me, yesterday, while you slept. She told me that Poseidon may have taken some item of power from you. Is this so?" 

"My Mercury Crystal." 

Athena's eyes snapped to Ami. "Mercury?" she asked with some surprise. 

"Yes. My planet. I use my Mercury Crystal to transform. I am one of the guards that protects the Moon Princess." 

"Moon Princess? Ah. Selene's unborn child. Then Poseidon has not pulled you from far in the future? Rhea behaved as though it were distant." 

Ami remained silent, casting her eyes to the white sands. 

"Some trouble in the Moon Kingdom," Athena determined from Ami's continued quiet. "I will ask no more. Foreknowledge is as dangerous to immortals as it is to mortals. Then it is far. I see, then, why Rhea and Chronos are so determined to keep this quiet. Zeus has been informed, as must be, and I, since Poseidon's action was meant against me. No other gods have been told of your existence here. Olympus is not omnipotent. This Mercury Crystal...it must be retrieved." 

"But I don't know where..." a shadow flickered over them, and two figures descended out of the air, a winged woman carrying a young man. The woman dropped him into an unceremonious heap on the sand. The man untangled himself, settling into a sulky position on the beach, folding his arms and legs up, glowering at the three females that stood around him. 

Ami looked at the newcomers. The woman was petite, tiny and delicate, with faerielike features. The pearly luminescence of the inside of an oyster shell shimmered over her shoulders. Gossamer wings of tremulous crystalline feathers streamed from her back, and she wore cloth of gold. Her eyes, though, were milky white, sightless. She grabbed the scruff of the man's tunic and hauled him to his feet with surprising strength. He gave the unsighted woman a sour glare, then turned to Athena, ignoring Ami. 

She was struck with similarity in features of the face, the same arching eyebrows and wideset eyes, his chocolatey brown rather than steely grey. His hair was the same chestnut color, but was tinged with ringlets of gold. He was young, and had the bronze skin that came from many hours of training, for he had the toned muscles of an athlete rather than a warrior. He was lean instead of bulky, and his face was smooth, beardless. His clothing was dark blue, of what appeared to be similar material to her own, and Greek key had been patterned on the hemline and collar. He was still watching Athena venomously, arms crossed. "They took my caduceus and my sandals," he snapped. 

_Caduceus and sandals? Hermes? In Latin, Mercury.___

The blind woman spoke then, voice calm and emotionless. "Hermes, Messenger of the Gods and self-styled god of thieves. You have been punished for your interference in the timestream...." 

"How was I supposed to know old Sea Brains was going to rip up timespace?" he protested petulantly as the winged woman continued. 

"A binding on your powers I have placed, and will be returned as the Princess regains hers. Until then, your powers are those of a demigod, limited to the mortal realm. So speak I, Themis, winged justice," Themis lifted her hands to the air, and her glassy wings sung apart, beating the sands as she lifted herself into the skies. 

Hermes returned his disgusted expression to Athena, his half sister by Zeus. "I bet you're enjoying this," he said flatly to her. 

Athena's chin lifted slightly. "You have been asking for it since that stunt stealing Apollo's herds. He would enjoy this. I however, have the unfortunate duty of saddling her," she gestured at Ami, "with you. Your practical jokes may entertain Father, but they have gone too far this time." 

"I didn't know that Poseidon was going to-!" 

"Silence!" Athena thundered, and Hermes cringed slightly as his sibling suddenly began to look a bit too much like their common parent. Her eyes flickered dangerously as her clothing rippled, a broad plate of metal clouding over her shoulders, bright in the noonday sun. The aegis, head of Medusa inlaid onto its breastplate. A helmet, plumed and gleaming appeared on her head, and spear of ebony shaft was gripped in her hand. "Your protesting has availed you nothing, brother. Poseidon has sent his minions to the future, to attack a time that I know not. Your actions have upset the balance of time, and for that, you have been justly sentenced by Themis! You will ensure this girl's safety as she takes back her Mercury Crystal!" 

Hermes blanched, then looked surprised at Ami when Athena mentioned the word "Mercury." He stared at the young woman standing beside Athena, frowning skeptically. Ami shifted uncomfortably as he swept his gaze over her. Slender ankles and long legs, a petite waist, pearly skin, eyes the color of lapis lazuli, round and wide, watching him as he watched her, short azure hair eddying around her head in the breeze. 

He did not look impressed. 

"She's mortal," he sniffed, snubbing the figure. 

_ And you're not. So?___

Athena whacked him in the shin with her spear and he yelped, grabbing at his new injury. "That hurt!" 

"And it would not if you retained your full powers. You will protect this girl, and see to it that she completes her mission." 

He looked about ready to slaughter his sister, fists balled tightly as he fumed. "And in what? I can't fly without my sandals. How are we supposed to find Waterbrains? If Nemesis can't, how are we supposed to?" 

"The Graeae on the edge of Ocean." 

Incredulously, Hermes nearly shouted, "The _Hags?_ They haven't even found their Eye yet!" 

"And I believe it was you who told Perseus to take it from them. Now you may return it." 

"Return it how?" he flung his hands up in despair. "I don't-! Never mind! How are we supposed to get to Ocean?" 

"I have provided a ship for you. Look," she pointed with her spear at the waters behind them. There, on the waves, a boat rocked gently in the serene waters, dark timbered hull bobbing on the surface. A sail of dark orange cloth was hanging loose on the mast. 

"Nice, sis. Pop a boat in to impress the mortal Princess of wherever here," he gave a martyred sigh and stalked off to the boat, muttering darkly. 

Athena shook her head. "Forgive him for rudeness. Hubris has ever been a fault of my family. This is a great insult to him," from the ship, Hermes could be seen hoisting the sail. He then shouted something at Ami, along the lines of hurrying up. "He knows the sea and the land, Ami. Have patience." 

Ami nodded once, looking uncertainly at the shallow hulled ship. 

"Here," Athena held a hand out before Ami. A soft silvery glow emanated in her palm, solidifying after a moment. A silvery brooch in the shape of the Gorgon's head lay there, tiny eyes blank, polished, glinting up at her. "A gift. For saving Athens, my city." 

"I couldn't...." 

"Take it. Wear it, Ami, Princess of Mercury. I have placed my power within it. If you need my strength, call upon it, and it will serve you. I am in your debt, for standing for my city's behalf. It is some small compensation. Please. For my sake." 

Ami accepted the pin, fastening it to the point of her collar. It was surprisingly light, not weighing against her clothing. "Thank you." 

Athena gave her a radiant smile, and gestured at the awaiting ship. "Go. Hermes is ever impatient. I will give you a good wind. May Aeolus speed you in your journey." 

Ami ran to the boat, and Hermes leaned over, helping her splash her way out of the water. He pulled her up, and as her feet hit the deck, a shot of wind graced into the sails, clouding them outward. Ami cast a last glance to the seashore, but found the goddess Athena gone, as was the tiny cottage she had awoke in earlier.   
  


_Mom must be worried._ Ami leaned against the rail of the ship, huddled within a blanket. She and Hermes had passed the day and evening in silence, warily avoiding one another, choosing to stay on opposing sides of the ship. They had spoken briefly when Helios' chariot had begun its descent, staining the sky in shades of scarlet and purple. Hermes had found the provisions Athena had left them with, skins of wine and water alike, salted fish and bread, hard tack, sailor's food, meant for journeys. A sack of olives had laid with the rest, and they had eaten that first, spitting the pits overboard into the sea. The sail billowed west, the triangular cloth full from Athena's blow. They skimmed the water swiftly. Nyx had spread its cloak across the sky, and the pinpricks of light that were the stars glimmered. The Moon was waxing, a thin sliver accompanied by clouds, providing little light. 

The ship's bronze brazier had been lit by Ami as the night had wrapped around them. The fire crackled cheerily, despite the chill of the sea. Ami sat not far from it, leaning against the starboard side, staring absently at the passing water as they flew along. 

_Mom. She'll be frantic. Once she realizes I'm gone. If she runs late at midnights, she doesn't get home til after I leave for school...I have...had...a test! I never miss tests! Usagi-chan and Mako-chan, Rei-chan and Minako-chan. And Chibiusa-chan and Mamoru-san! They'll wonder where I've gone! What if an enemy shows up? Athena...she said Poseidon sent some of his 'minions' through the rift. He told me that he would punish those I love! What if Usagi-chan gets hurt? I have to get back. My Mercury Crystal. What can this Medusa brooch do? Pluto...how did Hermes manage to get one of the timekeys? Magic. He must have used magic. Pluto's too strong to let him beat her in a fair fight. Not with the Order of the timestream at stake. Setsuna...you taught me so much...Are you okay? Please everyone, be all right. The Graeae. The three Grey Women who share a single Eye. Let them help. Perseus went to them. If Athena was weaving a picture of Perseus, then it probably already happened. Medusa is dead. Hermes mentioned they had not found their Eye yet.... I wonder how long ago...Perseus was supposedly a generation before Troy and the heroes from there. Achilles. Hector. Odysseus. Odysseus of Ithaka, who Athena protects. I wonder....___

Ami turned and looked across the planks of the deck, finally settling on Hermes. He was huddled at the prow, shivering with cold. His teeth chattered, and he had wrapped his arms around his knees, drawing them to his chin, rocking back and forth in a futile effort to warm himself. _He's so cold. Why doesn't he get a blanket? There were several in the hold. _ Ami stood and walked, rolling with the ship, to Hermes, taking the blanket from her shoulders and placing over him. He looked up at her oddly, frowning. 

"Thanks," he nearly grunted, then turned back to staring at the water, pulling the blanket closer around him. 

"It would be warmer at the fire, if you sat there," Ami offered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to ward off the chill. The salt scented sea became cold at night. 

Without looking at her, Hermes said, "I've never been cold before." 

"The fire would warm you. It is cold out here." 

"Yeah," he intoned, standing gracefully. "You coming or do you like being cold?" 

Ami bit her lip. _If I were Rei-chan, I'd have some sharp retort for that.... _"Yes," she finally replied, going to the supplies and drawing out a quilted blanket for herself, settling it around her in a cowl, tenting it to create a pocket of warmth. She took her place back at the handrail, a few steps from where Hermes was huddling, cinders flying into his face. He did look warmer. Ami turned back to the black waters, the starlight lighting each dipping wave. She sighed, sitting and placing an arm on the low rail, listening to the creaking of the ship while she rested her cheek on her hand, staring outward, letting her mind turn inward. _Mycenaean period? Or are we closer to the Hellenic? Poseidon described Athens as growing, and spoke as though Cecrops was fairly recent. Minoan era is gone...the style of ship...we must be close, if not in, the Mycenaean. So soon will be Egypt and Persia and all the rest. Alexander the Great of Macedon and Cyrus of Persia. So much in these times and times to come. I'm so tired...___

Ami yawned sleepily, and her worries drifted on the waves of thoughts, finally closing her eyes as Morpheus scattered sand into her sleepy eyes.   
  
  
  


~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~ 

  


  
Re-reading this, it all seems so fast.   
As I mentioned in the Prologue, quotes from the Odyssey are from the Robert Fagles translation.   
Onto chapter 2!   
~Queen   



	3. Tempest

  
Ami's Odyssey__

_"If by your art, my dearest father, you have_   
_Put the wild waters in this roar, ally them._   
_The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,_   
_But that the sea, mounting to th' welkin's cheek,_   
_Dashes the fire out...._   
_Had I been any god of power, I would_   
_Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere_   
_It should the good ship so have swallowed and_   
_The fraughting souls within her."___

_-William Shakespeare_   
_"The Tempest" 1.2.1 13_   
  


Chapter 2- Tempest   
  
  
"Hey, mortal, wake up. We're here." 

Ami stirred stiffly, rolling onto her side. Hermes pulled away as she stretched, arching her back, rubbing it from sleeping on the deck all night. _Wait. I fell asleep at the rail. How did I get....___

"Are you coming or do I have to talk to the Hags alone?" Hermes threw the anchor over the side, and she heard it splash and hit with a dull thud against the wharves. He leaned against the rail, waiting for her. Ami pushed the folds of blanket back, folding it and laying it atop Hermes's already neatly piled one. She pulled her sandals on quickly, tying them. _And I fell asleep wearing my sandals, too. Did Hermes...? _ "Come on, Princess." 

"My name is Ami." 

"Whatever. Come on." 

_ And to think a moment ago I was suspecting he was being nice.___

He kicked the plank over the side, and it shunted into the sand, sinking a moment, then settling. Ami slid down to the water, splashing her way up the final few feet to the rocky shore.Athena must have sent us a good wind to get us so far so fast... Ami set out after Hermes, who was quickly striding up the beach. He clambered over the rocks, outdistancing her. 

The beach was covered in fist sized rocks, grey and lumpy. It was a strange place, the beach sloping narrowly upwards to the maw of a cave. Boulders of various sizes dotted the shoreline, projecting their broken crests at odd angles. The light here was not the morning light she would have expected on waking. It was purple and red, stained with shades of orange rust. A land of twilight, perpetually locked in a bloodred sun. Shadows pulled across the rocks, shading the beach. From ahead, the sounds of screeching revibrated out of the inky blackness inside the cave. The sound of rocks clattering against one another echoed down to Ami's ears, accompanied by continued screaming. She flinched, covering her ears at the high pitched sound. _Nails on a chalkboard, that. Louder than Usagi-chan on her worst days....___

She stumbled over the rocks, drawing closer to the cave. In the corner of her eye, on the ground, she saw a slight shimmering. She cast a glance to Hermes' tanned back, which was already nearing the cave entrance. Hesitating a moment, she went to the gleam, and found a high placed conch shell, half broken and twisted between two rocks. The glimmer she had seen was that of golden webbing, spun from the spinnerets of a lady spider, who was sitting comfortably in her cats cradle. The web had been spun around and between a strange looking round object. Ami leaned closer, and in her mind she began to hear the words, 

_...Her body_   
_ Became a tiny ball._   
_ And now she is all belly_   
_ With a dot of a head. She retains_   
_ Only her slender skillful fingers_   
_ For legs. And so for ever_   
_ She hangs from the thread that she spins_   
_ Out of her belly._   
_ Or ceaselessly she weaves it_   
_ Into patterned webs_   
_ On a loom of leaves and grasses-_   
_ Her touches_   
Deft and swift and light as when they were human. 

"Arachne," Ami breathed as she watched the tiny spider wave her slim fingers at her. The multiple eyes watched her a moment, then the spider picked her way around on her many legs, vanishing into a crevice between the rocks. The object she had sewn into her loom remained, and Ami scooped it up, turning it over in her hands, feeling the smoothly cut facets of what she realized she would need here. She clutched the gold encased object, holding it fast, scrambling up after Hermes, who had now entered the mouth of the cave. 

"Aiee! You lost it! How could you, sister!" 

"I never lost it! It was her! She did!" 

"Liar! You did!" 

Hermes bellowed into the screaming match, "Enyo! Pemphredo! Deino!" 

The racket of the screaming sisters ceased instantly, and the three Hags turned towards the sound. 

One of the sisters turned and said in her scratchy pitched voice, "Who knows our names? No mortal man may hear such words." 

Ami reached the cave then, to hear the Graeae speak. She stared, blatantly, at the faces before her. Their bodies were the shapes of ragged birds, grey feathered and molting, leaving bits of bird fluff floating in the air. Their necks were distended in length, long and loping, but held tucked close to their bodies. Human heads sat atop them, and they did have human arms and hands. Their rickety wings scraped against each other as they jostled away from their positions around the cave, the sound of shearing metal. Ami stood behind Hermes, keeping the web covered item close, watching the blind women, each sitting at a pile of stones. Their eyes, unlike Themis', were not white, but gone, leaving gaping blood encrusted holes in their sockets. 

"Hermes. God of Messengers." 

The three sisters sneered, lips curling thickly up, dribbles of saliva drooling down onto their black, rough hewn clothing. They responded in turn, finishing one another's sentences. "Hermes God of Messengers." 

"Comes seeking our knowledge." 

"What delicious irony that it was he who took our Eye!" 

"Now, we See no longer!" 

Hermes sighed, folding his arms. "I didn't take it. Perseus did. And I come seeking your aid, wise ones." 

"Under your influence, and your sister Athena's!" 

"Your fault! All your fault!" 

"Took our Eye, our lovely Eye!" 

Ami took a tentative step forward. "You cannot give us any information without the Eye?" 

The Graeae stopped at the sound of her gentle voice, turning their blank eyes towards the sound. "Another joins us." 

"So we hear," the other two chorused. 

"No, we See nothing without our Eye, lost by the interference of that one!" she pointed somewhat inaccurately at Hermes, who rolled his eyes in response. 

Ami looked at the round object in her hands. "And if I return the Eye to you, would you tell me-?" 

She was interrupted instantly by shrieks by the three Graeae, who leapt closer together, abandoning the piles of rocks altogether. "You have it! Give it back! We want it! Anything! Anything! Give us the Eye!" 

"Don't!" Hermes grabbed Ami's wrist. "Give it to them, and they won't tell us anything!" 

"But if they can't See anything without it-" she began to protest. 

"They're lying!" 

"We are not, son of Zeus!" the three shrieked. "Give it to us!" They began to inch closer, arms and sightless heads pleading as their brown nailed fingers implored. Ami looked at the golden swathed object in her hands. _Athena knew. Somehow, she knew. Arachne. Whether that was the actual Arachne or not, it doesn't matter. That spider kept it safe. Like in a fairy tale. But this is not a fairy tale. I must get back home!___

"Swear it by the Styx," Ami stated, looking Hermes in the eyes as she said it. Surprise filled his eyes, and he grinned suddenly, a happy, lopsided smile that lit his face. He released her wrist, and she looked at the three bent women. "Swear it to the Styx and to Zeus Oathkeeper that you will tell me what I wish to know if I return it to you." 

The three grumbled a moment, shifting, stopping in their creeping advance. Finally, they gloomily promised, "We swear." 

Ami took a deep breath, stepping forward nervously. "Careful," she heard Hermes breathe behind her. The three Grey Women sidled closer together, and she placed the cobweb covered globe in the center one's outstretched hand. The instant it was in her palsied fingers, the three screeched in triumph, hurriedly brushing the golden webbing away. The center of activity froze a moment. 

"Cobwebs," the three rasped in unison, touching the orb they held. They hesitated a moment, then returned to clearing away the golden webbing. The center one held it aloft, then cackled loudly. "Returned! And so, young travelers, we See again!" They hovered back a moment, drawing further into the cave. Around them, the walls seemed to hum, vibrating as the orb they held glowed. "The Eye!" Brightness radiated out from it, and the three turned their sightless sockets to the orb. "State your question and be answered!" 

Ami drew a breath, asking, "Where does Poseidon hide, with the timekey and the Mercury Crystal that is not his?" 

The Eye began to pulsate in the fingers of the center Graeae, fragments of light cutting out from the facets of the revealed crystal within. Each sister lifted her hands to the pulsating crystal, and it turned in their hands, glowing softly. The empty holes in their faces began to flame bloodily as each intoned, "Past familiar shores you must seek the lair of the Earth Shaker." 

"Within the realm of water you will find him!" 

"Sail through the bones of Gaea, blasted by the wrath of the gods of creation." 

"Perils of the sea you will face." 

"The one who will be the clever tactician will point the way." 

"Find him, and find the path to Poseidon." 

It was with these words the three Graeae told them of their course, falling into a lapse of palpable silence. Hermes was the first to test it, venturing to say, "Good ladies, we thank you for your wisdom." 

The three Hags rustled their feathers, saying not a word to the pair that stood before them, letting their empty eyes fill the gap of silence. The first Graeae shattered the glassy silence by scratching faintly, "Go, now. Leave three old women to their Eye and Sight." Three backs were then turned to them, huddling and dragging off deeper into the black cave. 

  
"Come on," Hermes said to Ami, tapping her on the shoulder lightly. They backed away from the cave, stumbling down the rocky embankment to their moored ship. The twilight filled place had drawn into deeper shades of purple, yet the sun still hung redly on the horizon. Hermes pulled the plank up behind them, and Ami pulled the rope binding up the mast taut. It billowed outward, and they crested over the rocky shoals, passing sandbar and wharves, again taking out to sea. "Great. Now we get to go searching for some guy who we don't know," Hermes muttered as he took the tiller. 

_ The one who will be the clever tactician? That could be any number of men...or boys for that matter. They said would be, not is. And they said 'he' not 'she' so we are looking for a male. But still...._

"Where should we head then?" Ami asked Hermes, who was pulling the boat around. 

He shrugged dismissively. "Your journey. You pick." 

_ This is going to be a long trip if he keeps up like this._ "Well...for now, lets head back to Zacynthius." 

"Fine. Nothing better to do," after a moment, Hermes added, "How'd you find the Eye?" 

She glanced at him over her shoulder, shrugging delicately, straightening the boom out as they caught a easterly wind. "It was on the beach. A spider kept it with her." 

Hermes gave her an appraising look, measuring her again. He seemed to come to a decision about something, nodded once, then gave her the lopsided grin again, this time even brighter than in the cave. He tilted his head to the side, leaning back. Then his face grew serious. "It won't take long for Poseidon to find us now that we're back on his territory. Can you swim?" 

"Of course," she responded somewhat stiffly. _Never in a storm or what Poseidon may throw at us, but in the ocean nonetheless....___

"Good. Poseidon can throw one Tartarus of a party when he puts his mind to it. Hope you don't get seasick." 

In response to that, Ami turned away from him, coming to the prow, leaning forward, enjoying the salty spray as the ship crashed into the oncoming waves. 

  
Makoto leaned forward, placing her chin in the cup of her hands, elbows on her knees, waiting patiently. She checked her watch. Usagi was in detention again, as usual. She had been waiting calmly for the last half hour since school let out, her empty lunchpail beside her, the extra sandwiches eaten at lunch by the delinquent she was waiting for. With a sigh, she leaned back into the park bench, opening her bag and rustling through her papers. She might as well get to work on her history assignment. As she finally located the paper, buried under a brilliant idea for white chocolate cake she had thought of at lunch, the doors to the school burst open, and the twin odangoed blonde form of Usagi tore out, shouting, "Mako-chan! I'm sorry I'm late!" Makoto laughed and said,   
"You're always late. I expected it. It's okay," she stuffed the history back into her backpack, this time on top of the new recipe. "Minako ran off early. Something about a sale," Mako shrugged and swung her backpack over her shoulder. "But, Usagi-chan, have you seen Ami-chan? She didn't meet me after school today to wait for you." 

Still catching her breath, Usagi shook her head. "I was going to ask you the same thing. She wasn't in class. I don't think she's missed a day of school in her life. And we had a test in math today." 

"Ami-chan missed a test? Is she sick?" 

Usagi shrugged. "I thought we could stop by her apartment to make sure. Ami-chan missing school...It must be serious." 

Makoto stood from the bench, gathering her things. "If she is, I'll make her some lemon rice soup. The kind with chicken in it. That's better than plain old chicken noodle." 

"Oooo...will you make me some?" Usagi begged, smiling and waiting as Makoto picked up her empty lunchpail. 

"Sure. Hey...Usagi-chan. Look." Mako pointed to a small pink haired figure that was running rapidly towards them, a round, cat headed toy tucked under her arm. 

Chibiusa skidded to a halt before them. "Hi! I came to see you!" she announced. 

Usagi and Makoto stared. It was Usagi who recovered first, shouting, "You came all the way from your elementary school to see us! All across town by yourself?" she yelled down at the younger, equally pigtailed girl. Chibiusa folded her arms and smiled sweetly up at the irate teenage version of her mother. "You could have been killed!" Usagi continued to rant. "What possessed you to get off the bus and come here?" 

"This!" Chibiusa grinned, pulling a large piece of pink construction paper out of her bunny-shaped bookbag. She unfolded it and held it up for Usagi and Makoto to see. 

In the center of the picture stood a man in a violet tuxedo and a woman in a flowing white dress, a young pink haired girl between them, also in a lovely dress. In one hand of Neo-Queen Serenity, she held the Scepter, and with her other, she held the young Small Lady's. King Endymion was beaming at his wife and daughter. In the background, four women smiled. Minako was throwing her usual victory/peace sign beside Rei, who was looking generally annoyed because Minako was pushing her back somewhat. Makoto was winking and grinning beside Ami, who was sitting and appeared to be glancing up from a book. "My teacher wanted us to draw pictures of our family and show it to our parents. So I brought it to you!" she beamed up at the two older girls. Usagi's anger melted away as her eyes widened, and she grabbed Chibiusa, hugging her. 

"That is so sweet! But...didn't your teacher want to know why we're all in dresses and Mamo-chan is wearing a purple tux?" 

Makoto added dryly, "And why we all only look about twenty...?" 

Chibiusa shifted uncomfortably and scratched her head. She shrugged. "I said I wanted us to look cool." Switching the subject quickly, Chibiusa looked around. "Hey, where's Ami-chan?" 

"We think she's sick," Usagi told her absently. "We were going to her apartment. You'd better get home before mom wonders where you are." 

"I was going to go find Mamo-chan next..." Chibiusa began as she was cut off by the whistle of Usagi and Makoto's communicators. 

"Hello?" Usagi demanded into the comm. 

"Usa..." the voice of Mars crackled through the static. "...University Hospital...NOW!" In the background, they heard the sound of Venus screaming "...Beauty Shock!" The line was abruptly cut off. 

Usagi, Makoto and Chibiusa gave each other worried glances, then broke into a run. At the first clear alleyway, Usagi and Chibiusa grabbed their brooches, lifting their hands into the air to complete the double henshin. 

"Moon Crisis! Make-up!" 

"Jupiter Crystal Power! Make-up!"   


Sailor Mars cast a furtive glance behind her, and did not find the face she was afraid of seeing. Grandpa had come to the hospital that day for a check-up. He seemed in relative good-health, but at his age, anything could go wrong. She had arrived as he was waiting in the lobby, coming straight from school. A few minutes later, she had gotten that uncomfortable feeling that precluded an attack. She excused herself, claiming she needed to use the bathroom, and began to investigate. A few steps out of the lobby, she heard the first shrieks, and hospital security was shutting the emergency doors. Several large...things...that Rei couldn't quite identify had begun to dive-bomb the front gate. Dodging into a handy bathroom, she had transformed, and contacted the first person she could. Minako, in this case, who had hurried off from school that day, leaving Makoto to wait for Usagi. 

Now she stood outside, having leapt through a pane of shattered glass sliding door. One of the creatures had gotten close, its hooked beak ramming into the bullet-proof glass, turning it into a waterfall of shards in an instant. Mars tore outside, screaming, "_Aku Ryo Tai San!_" and the burning wards fled from her fingers, sealing the gate magically as well as physically. Venus arrived as this happened, twirling her Venus Love-me Chain to begin her battle. There appeared to be dozens of the creatures cawing overhead, yelping cries filling the air. 

And they smelled. 

Bad. 

Really, really bad. 

Like a toxic waste dump had just deposited itself in front of University Hospital. 

Snakelike bodies coiled in the air, shades of mossy green. Red tinged vulture wings flapped wildly, talons poised to strike. 

"Burning Mandala!" The rings tore outward, but the strange snake-birds scattered. Two of the rings flew true to mark, but barely singed the wings of the attackers, hissing and steaming as they impacted. 

"Mars!" Venus called. "What are those things? Venus Love-me Chain!" 

"I don't know, Venus. Just hold them off! I'm going to contact Sailor Moon!" 

"Venus Love and-" 

"Usagi-chan! We need you at University Hospital! NOW!" 

"-Beauty Shock!" 

The whip cut across the air, slicing through a thick tangle of the beasts, but several of them apparently were able to regroup, tucking their wings close, and the wind screamed around them as they banked closer. "Mars Flame Sniper!" The fiery arrow cut through the center of the creatures, forcing them to veer to the sides. The gate still stood, and Mars cast a hurried glance behind her. No Grandpa. But she did recognize another form at the glass entrance, a woman doctor. Dr. Mizuno, Ami's mother, with a horrified and panicked look on her face, who was struggling with two security guards. They were trying to hold her back. "Get back!" she waved sharply at the guards and Dr. Mizuno. Shock registered on her face and she complied, slowly allowing the guards to pull her away from the action. 

It was then that the sound of sirens ripped into the air, their loud wails making the attacking youma spin cartwheels midair. Fire engines and police spun into a circle, blockading the street off from any traffic. Red, blue and yellow lights spun in dizzying circles around them. The squawking grew more frenzied, and another knot sped towards the awaiting Mars and Venus. 

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" Two familiar voices called out at once. The twin blasts of light slammed into the creatures. Several were hit, but most broke off, gathering wind under their wings and soaring back up into the frothing numbers above. 

"About time!" Mars shouted at the late arrivals. "We've been able to hold them off, but..." 

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" 

The swelling mass above was forced upwards, tumbling over each other to evade the oncoming winds. They cried all the louder for their setback.   
"What are they?" Sailor Moon shouted at the other senshi, not really caring who in particular answered her. 

"I don't know!" Mars screamed again. "How are we supposed to fight these things? Where is Mercury? We need her here, now!" 

"Out sick!" Sailor Moon responded, wrapping her fingers tighter around the Moon Kaleidoscope. "We think." 

"You _think?!"___

For a response, Sailor Moon shouted her attack again, aimed at a single winged snake that was plummeting at Chibi Moon. Jupiter appeared out from behind a van, conveniently parked at a fire hydrant, and grabbed her as the Meditation blast flung the creature across into an opposing building. It hit hard, and slumped down the brick wall, curling up onto the pavement. In retaliation for this, the creatures broke apart above them, abandoning their usual dive-bombing of the front gate to focus on each individual senshi. "Oh, no you don't!" Chibi Moon shouted. "Get away from my mama! Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" Her attack pulsated out, striking into the tangle that was streaking towards Sailor Moon. "All right!" She cheered when they broke apart to reassemble. 

But the attack was far from over. Again the creatures circled overhead, and again they attacked at once, this time not avoiding the diminutive pink pigtailed girl. Venus this time blocked Chibi Moon as Jupiter ran to take a position closer to Sailor Mars as several of the creatures were sloping in, aiming past Sailor Moon. "Mars! No!" Sailor Moon cried as Mars drew breath to call out her attack, but two of the winged serpents banked suddenly, flipping midair, their coiled tails stretching out behind them as they arrowed forward. It was a feint. They switched directions, their shrieks tearing from their throats as their sharp beaks slashed open, their talons splayed, each aiming straight for Sailor Moon. 

A black blur flew forward then, rolling as it hit the open-mouthed Sailor Moon. They hit the pavement hard, the two breakers backwinging too late to slam into the cement. "Perfect timing, as usual, love." Sailor Moon gave Tuxedo Kamen a peck on the nose as he lay sprawled on top of her. 

"This isn't exactly the time to get romantic. Come on," he hauled her to her feet, his top hat knocked askew on his head. He flung it off, since it was getting in his way. She snatched up the Kaleidoscope from where she had dropped it when Tuxedo Kamen had rolled her out of danger's path. Again. 

"We can't figure out how to stop them," she informed him as they watched the creatures soar back up into their flock. She grimaced. "And they smell real bad, too," she added as an afterthought, even though this was already pretty apparent. Several of the police and firemen, who usually had strong stomachs, were leaning against nearby buildings, attempting to restrain their roiling stomachs. 

"Do we know how to fight them?" he asked, holding the edge of his cape over his nose. 

"Mercury's gone." 

He frowned at that bit of news, and then he looked at the waiting firetrucks. Then at Jupiter, who was now standing beside Mars. "I've got an idea. Hold them off. And keep them together! Jupiter! To me!" 

He took off running, cloak winging out behind him. Jupiter abandoned her position, giving Mars an encouraging look. She took off after Tuxedo Kamen.   
"All right!" Sailor Moon shouted, brandishing her weapon. "You heard him! Keep them together! Mars! Chibi Moon! Venus!" she ran beside Mars, taking place before the glass doors. "Champion of Justice and Love, Defender against Evil..." 

"Ah, Sailor Moon?" Mars interrupted. "I don't think they understand speech." 

"But..." she spluttered. "It sounds good for everyone else!" 

"Guys!" Venus broke in. "Can we worry about this later?" 

The youma had completed their regroup, and were now angling towards the awaiting senshi. "Fan out!" Sailor Moon commanded, and the three other senshi obeyed, Chibi Moon to the left, Venus to the right, and Sailor Moon following Chibi a few steps behind. "Keep them together!" 

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" 

"Mars Flame Sniper!" 

And two voices called out, "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" 

The flying snakes broke apart, cawing loudly, then swarming together again. From the side street, a sirenless fire engine roared forward, skidding and turning to the side. Three firemen, accompanied by Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Jupiter, leapt off, the firemen going straight for the largest hose. They hauled it off as the creatures began to tighten up for another dive. Tuxedo Kamen flipped open the nozzle of the hose, and a massive blast of water thundered out of the coils. The three firemen behind him wrestled with both leaping hose and leaping stomachs. The stench was becoming incredible. "Now!" Tuxedo Kamen called, and the nozzle was abruptly shut off as Jupiter let the last words of her attack come out. 

"Supreme Thunder!" 

The multiple streaks of lightning arched between her hands, her ball lightning impacting on the water that was even then hitting the flying creatures. Soaked wings became heavy with water, and they struggled to stay afloat on the air. The lightning hit them, and water, ever a good conductor, spread through their ranks, electrocuting them as they hovered. The stink of charred feathers added to the already present smell, but the flying youma, now cooked, crashed into the ground. 

Venus wrinkled her nose. "Kentucky Fried Winged Snakes. Not going to be a hit. Eww...." 

Strangely, though, the smell began to dissipate with the death of the birds. Tuxedo Kamen moved closer to Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon, placing a protective arm on both of them. "Well..." Sailor Moon announced nervously, looking around. The security guards had opened the gates, and had cautiously moved outside. Dr. Mizuno was being held back again by one of the more burly guards. She was looking around at the various senshi very strangely. "Looks like we had an audience this time," Sailor Moon finished weakly. Venus waved and smiled at a news van that was pulling up. 

"Do you think we'll make the five o'clock?" she asked, hurriedly straightening out her red bow. 

"We'd better go," Jupiter urged, stepping closer. The street had been silent until then, and as the group drew closer together. As the group looked for a quick exit, a generally held breath suddenly expelled, and the onlookers broke out into wild cheers.   
  


For two days Ami and Hermes sailed eastward. The swift wind sent by Athena was gone, and they traveled far more slowly, relying on winds of a less divine nature to send them forward. It was in the evening of the third day at sea that Poseidon found their tiny boat, cresting steadily through his seas. The Earth Shaker, true to his name, struck his trident into the water, turning it in circles, stirring his depths into a cyclone of sea spray. The tiny boat was tossed high in the waves, a tiny toy fighting the master of the Mediterranean and Exuine seas. Mountains of water in tempestuous rage swelled high above them, pummeling down onto the deck, flinging their craft round in a furious spin. And above them, in the sky, lightning flew by, and drumming of thunder rolled. Through the onslaught of squalling rain, the gale winds struck with great force, shredding the sail to ribbons. 

Hermes leaned against the steering oar, desperately trying to bring some direction to the rudder. Ami flung her weight against his, lending her strength to bring their ship through. Resistance from the rudder broke as the wooden oar cracked, shearing off from its bindings. They were flung against the rail, thudding into each other. Hermes grabbed her wrist, pulling Ami into the cranny that held their supplies. She heard him shout something to her, but in the tumult of the sea, the words were lost. He pulled out a braided hempen chord from one of the bins, tying it to his waist. Another wave crashed over them, and Ami's fingers scrambled to find a hold on the storage containers. They failed. She and Hermes alike were swept down the deck, water slicking their way. She slammed into the mast, wildly reaching for Hermes as she clutched the pole. Fortune gave a sardonic smile for a moment, letting her wheel turn, and Ami found a fistful of silky cloth in her hand. Hermes scrambled upward, wrapping his arm around the mast, tying the chord around it, then pulling Ami close, wrapping the chord under her arms as they tightly held the crackling shaft. 

Each strained against the torrential breakers, kicking their way back to the surface. Ami shoved her head up through the waves, Hermes a moment later, only to be knocked below again. She felt him jerking against the chord that bound them, fighting his uncle's fury. She managed to surface, this time to see the fingers of broken deckboards fold together in outraged prayer, sinking into the watery graveyard that would now be its home. A sharp jerk downward brought her attention back to survival, back from the loss of their ship. Hermes was under again, herself, tied to him, a moment later. She pulled against the rope, kicking, hoping that the fuzzy light above was not a trick of her eyes, but the reality of the sky. Together they reached the air, and fought each pell-mell wave as they were tossed down the currents. Each wind tossed them between the other, a cruel sport to play, even for the gods, harrying them ever forward.   
  
  
  


~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~ 

  
  


The quote from 'Arachne' this chapter is from the "Metamorphoses" by Ovid, trans. by A.D. Melville, Oxford ed. 1986.   
  



	4. A Lady of Legend

Ami's Odyssey   
  
__ __

_The winter here's cold, and bitter_   
_it's chilled us to the bone_   
_we haven't seen the sun for weeks_   
_to long to far from home_   
_I feel just like I'm sinking_   
_and I claw for solid ground_   
_I'm pulled down by the undertow_   
_I never thought I could feel so low_   
_oh darkness I feel like letting go_   
_If all of the strength and all of the courage_   
_come and lift me from this place_   
_I know I could love you much better than this_   
_full of grace_   
_full of grace_   
_my love_   
_-Sarah McLachlan, 'Full of Grace' from 'Surfacing'_   
__   
__   
  
  


Chapter 3- A Lady of Legend   


It was the taste of sand that Ami awoke to. 

The taste was not a pleasant one. _Kinda like Minako-chan's cooking.... _She spat it out, feeling the roughness scrape her cheek. She felt raw and sore, having been beaten by the hammer of the sea. The yellow stuff was stuck to her eyelashes, puddled in her hair, clinging stiffly as it dried. As she moved, encrusted muscles broke the surface of the sand, shedding it from her like a snakeskin. She groaned as she pushed herself up, feeling stiffened muscles in her legs protest the movement, exhausted as they were from the last night's ordeal. She collapsed and closed her eyes, sighing softly. She tried to rise again a moment later, fighting fatigue, pulling herself to her knees, feeling a tug as she remembered she was still twined to Hermes, who was lying unconscious several feet from her. He, like she, was cloaked in sand. She looked quickly to the sea, almost afraid that Poseidon would be towering in the reefs, awaiting her awakening. He was not. She shuddered in relief for a moment, bending over, breathing heavily as chunks of her hair clung to her face stickily. 

The tide was out, revealing tidal pools and their inhabitants, sea anemones and sponges, starfish and clams, shells tightly clamped. "Hermes," her voice was raw. She crawled over to his sprawled out body. "Hermes. Wake up...please wake up," she nudged him gently on the shoulder. His boylike face puckered as he surfaced from the depths of unconsciousness, the cool grace of his Olympian lineage vanishing as he twisted out of sleep. "Hermes...are you okay?" 

He frowned up at her out of his chocolatey eyes. "What?" 

Surprised, she touched her throat. _What? Oh...I spoke in Japanese. I can do that? Well, Athena said it was a 'potion of tongues'...and my modern Japanese would not be the same as Hellenic era Japanese. Lingual shifts...I guess I need to be concentrating to speak in the language I choose. I suppose I default back to my native language when I'm not consciously thinking of it. _"I wanted to know if you were okay."__

"What's okay?" 

_ Whoops...'okay' hasn't entered the language yet.... _"Are you all right?" 

He groaned and tried to pull himself up. Ami steadied him as he visibly reeled. He put a hand to his head. "Yeah. Poseidon gone?" 

"It seems that way." 

Hermes looked relieved. "He can't do as much when we're on land. The ship?" 

Ami looked at her hands, neatly folded in her lap. "Gone." 

"Perfect," he ran a hand through his hair, and a storm of sand fell out. 

"Do you know where we are?" 

He frowned, looking around the empty beach. He gathered himself, staggering to his feet. Ami joined him, and they ended up leaning on each other for support as cramped muscled worked themselves back into more natural positions. The beach was scattered with driftwood and remains of their ship, pelted out by the god sent squall. Surf was steadily lapping up the shore, leaving a thin line of a watermark halfway up the beach. Helios had climbed almost halfway through his daily journey, the wheels of his chariot glowing a steady orange in a cloudless azure sky. Hermes breathed deeply once. "North coast of Africa...." he closed his eyes, mentally retracing their steps. "About halfway to Hellas from the Graeae. Around the outcropping. I've been through this way before. There's not much here. But..." he opened his eyes. "It's a good area. Good land. If I remember right, there's some sea towns up and down the coast. I think...yes. There's one a few leagues from here. Only a few minutes...." he frowned suddenly, grimacing. He looked at Ami, who had been watching him."It might take a couple hours to march. You up to it?" 

"I think so. But we'd better get unattached first." 

"What?" 

Ami tugged at the chord that was now settled around each of their waists. "Oh," he looked over the beach. "Let's look for something sharp." 

The pair, unable to go very far apart, began to search the wreck littered beach for something sharp. A few minutes later, Hermes spotted an old, bronze rusty dagger, broken in the center. But the edge was jagged, and after some sawing, the water-tightened bonds gave way, snapping in two. Freed, Hermes began to take off to the south east, Ami trailing watchfully after.   


For over what Ami estimated as two hours, they marched tiredly towards the town Hermes remembered. It was small, reeking of spoiled fish. The road to the town was damp, and a few puddles served as a reminder of the earlier storm. The town had taken the fringes of the blast, yet still strong enough to knock shingles loose from houses. As Ami and Hermes had marched, they had shaken the sands from them, managing to gather themselves into a semi-decent state of appearance. 

Not that anyone would have noticed. 

The town was poor, run down, and generally decrepit. A large hill dominated the scene in the background, strangely green and lush with grasses. Dirty children shouted in play up and down the street, a group of their shawled mothers huddled together by a vegetable cart, bartering for what food they could. Worn out fishermen were beginning to bring in their catches, their rough shouts filling the air. Seagulls wheeled overhead, screaming over the bits of rotting fish guts that were floating in the water. They walked up the harbor, many of the wooden planks of the boardwalk rotting with disrepair and neglect. A small fleet of boats lay in anchor in the bay, twelve Phoenician trading ships, each in excellent repair, their sails drawn. 

Hermes was scanning the row of boxy buildings across from the small harbor, their slumped mud brick walls making them look claustrophobic.   
"Hermes? What are we looking for?" 

A moment later, he brightened, jerking a thumb at one of the dingy, squat structures. "That." 

Ami gaped. A man staggered outside, collapsing onto a three legged stool. He carried a flask in hand, and took a long swig of the bark container. He belched loudly, scratching his exposed beer belly. He burped, then passed out, the flagon falling to the ground. "A bar?" Ami asked, incredulous. 

"I come through places like this all the time," Hermes announced breezily. "I think we'll find exactly the kind of person we need in there." 

"Isn't that dangerous?" 

"What kind of people do you think will be in a tavern in the middle of the afternoon?" he grinned mischievously, turning and striding across the muddy street. Reluctantly, Ami followed him.   


Hermes was halfway towards the bartender when Ami passed through the doors, looking about nervously. Long tables had been stretched across the room, benches beside them. Along the sides, round tables with stools stood. The tavern, for the most part, was empty. A group of five men sat hunched over at a corner table, apparently dicing. One of the men swore, then overturned his chair as he got up from the table, stalking off. Another of the men looked quite satisfied with himself, and Ami heard him invite the others for another round. 

Hermes was speaking in low tones with the barman, while a woman beside them stacked clay plates on the counter. "Hey, gorgeous," a thick voice slurred. Ami felt a heavy arm drape over her shoulders. She flinched, shrinking away. "Where you goin' eh? Give us a kiss," he leaned in closer and Ami pushed the man away, his breath sour from lack of mouthwash. *Scope? Listerine, anyone?* A meaty hand grabbed her waist, drawing her closer. 

"Let go!" she shoved him harder, slipping out of the drunken sailor's grasp. The heavy hand snatched out, catching her wrist. The man's voice cleared slightly, and he looked at her out of the pouches of flesh around his eyes. 

"Aw...lil' girl don't want no fun?" he chuckled waspishly, his three companions at the table joining in behind him. Coins were laid out on the table, the remains of betting accompanied by tankards of heady wine. 

From the side, Ami heard Hermes' light baritone say, "She's mine." He was glaring at the man, arms folded over his chest. 

The stranger pulled Ami closer, tucking her against his sweaty chest. Ami grimaced. Body odor. Someone needs to invent deodorant. I have to do something! "Yeah?" the man responded, grinning. "Well, now she's w' me and my boys." 

_ Now! _Ami slammed her heel into the man's groin, bringing it up behind her. She heard the man gurgle, doubling over. She noticed the shocked look on Hermes' face as she brought her arms up and behind the man's head, using his doubling over to roll him over her shoulder. _Thank the gods for all that practice with the youma....I think that one would make even Haruk-san proud.... _The man crashed onto the floor with the Judo-style flip, the boards of the floor splintering under his considerable weight. The man's companions were quick to their feet, overturning their table as they leapt forward. _What kind of people would be in a tavern at midday, huh? Well, apparently in a seaport like this...drunken seamen with nothing better to do than harass women. Where is feminism when you need it?_ One of the new attackers was armed with a bronze knife, and he held it fist down, dagger style as he charged. Ami spun as he wildly struck outward. 

Hermes had leapt into the action now, grabbing the wrist of one of the men and twisting it back, swinging the man around. He brought his leg around into a roundhouse kick, catching the man in the stomach. Ami's attacker was now crashing into one of the long tables, flipping over it as Hermes sent his man after. The four men gambling quietly at the other table had abandoned their gaming and were shouting, now charging over. 

_ Perfect. They're friends. What? Shipmates? Guys, are you when I need you? Mako-chan, I could really use your strength right now.... _ "Hermes!" Ami cried as he took a blow to the stomach._ I need a weapon! _She ducked as one of the newcomers, slightly tipsy from drink, clumsily pawed at her. She drove her shoulder into his belly, grabbing his arm from below, letting his own momentum drive him over her back. _I have to find something to use as a weapon...I can't use my power...Athena...I thought you gave me some power.... _ She cast a wild glance around the room. Hermes was using a chair to fend off one of the men. Other than the original man, two others were sprawled out on the ground. Her eyes fell on bar, where the bartender and barmaid were cowering behind some dishes. _The plates!___

The man with the dagger was up again now, and charging at Ami. Please let this work.... She reached the counter top seconds before her attacker. She grabbed the top plate, spinning around. The dagger was out, stabbing straight at her stomach. She deflected the blow with the flat of the plate, then slammed it into the man's face, half shutting her eyes as the clay broke in her hands. The man's eyes crossed comically, he tottered, then dropped flat on his face on the ground. Seeing their comrade collapse before the girl, two men broke off their attack on Hermes and charged at her. She grabbed another plate from the leaning stack and hurled it, discus style, at the men. The fired clay plate exploded in a cloud of chips as it broke over a man's head. _Not exactly the Moon Tiara...why do I feel like I'm trapped in a really weird Jackie Chan movie?___

She spun another dish out at the second man as he ran closer. The clay disk blew up in his face, sending shards everywhere. "Hermes! Down!" Two more plates, in quick succession, flew out from her fingers, splintering on his attackers. Hermes threw his arms up to ward off the shrapnel. 

"Where'd you learn that?" he exclaimed as another frisbee impacted on the head of another one of the sailors, cracking him over the head. 

"Um, Xena?" Ami offered as she reached for another plate. _Uh oh. Out of chakrams....and we're a little outnumbered still.... _Three men, two at Ami's feet, one crashed over the table, were down, but the other four were still up, and were looking extremely pissed, their faces red. They roared, two heading for Ami, the other two, Hermes. 

Into the oncoming fracas, a single word was called out, with such authority in tone and inflection that the brawl froze mid-fight. "Stop!" heads swiveled around, and there, in the doorway, stood a woman, her right hand slightly uplifted with her command. The sailors instantly dropped to their knees, the visage of both horror and shame coloring their cheeks. 

The lithe woman padded a further step into the tavern, sandaled feet silent on the wood. She was tall, willowy, with strength in her stance as well as flexibility. A yellow silk skirt was gathered at her hips, trailing down, hemmed with a border of cloth of gold at her feet, golden twined sandals just visible under the edge. A heavy red ruby gathered the cloth to her, inlaid on gold. A swath of yellow silk had been twined around her chest, also fastened with a sparkling ruby, bits of silk trailing down over her bare belly. A long neck held up a proud chin, and her wide, full red lips were drawn into a tight frown. Heavy black hair hung in fastened gold clasps around her head, seeming almost Egyptian in style, hanging on olive skinned shoulders. Heavy round ornaments hung heavily from her ears, and bracelets studded with rubies encircled her arms. But it was her eyes that glared at the scene before her, heavily lined in black kohl, thick lashes curling high around her eyes. Gold flecked emerald eyes cast around with disapproval, and her movements were that of a lioness ready to pounce. The men that they had been fighting seemed completely sober now, and they were cringing. 

Two men stepped out behind her, wearing brown tunics, leather baldrics slung around their chests, narrow, short leaf-shaped bronze swords hanging from them, make for cutting or thrusting equally. Each carried a round bullhide shield, framed in wood, large enough to block most chest strikes. Their faces though, were unseen, obscurely hidden within their helmets, which wrapped around their eyes, and were split down the center by a nose piece. They were light, thinly made, for bronze helmets become heavy with wear. They were made to deflect bows rather than to block them. "Captain," the woman commanded. The man on her right stepped briskly forward. "Take our men to the brig as they deserve for fighting while on leave," her catlike eyes pierced through the men around them. "Put them on rations. They disobeyed my direct order." 

"Yes, my queen. Men! Up!" From behind him, two more men appeared, equally attired, but armed with hoplite style spears. They avoided their mistress in the doorway carefully, stepping around her. The two men gathered the attackers, forcing the prone figures roughly to their feet, dragging them out the door when necessary. There was the sound of clanging weaponry as they men were escorted out of sight. 

"Lieutenant." 

"Yes, my queen," the other man snapped to attention. 

"Take the men and bring the foodstuffs and drink to our ships." 

"Yes, my queen," he strode forward, several men from outside falling in behind him as he approached the shaking bartender. Now the woman's eyes focused on Hermes, then on Ami. 

"You will follow me," she announced flatly, skirts aswirl as she turned and stalked out the door. Mutely, Ami and Hermes obeyed. Once on the street, two women in robes of scarlet, veils drawn across their faces, fell into silent step beside the woman her guards had called 'queen'. She returned to their awaiting faces, Ami's withdrawn and silent, Hermes with some bemused interest. She watched them carefully, sweeping her gaze up and down Hermes first, disregarding him, then Ami, letting her gaze linger in her eyes a moment. "I am Elissa of Tyre," she said, then seemed to wait expectantly, her hands resting lightly on her hips as she held her chin imperiously aloft. 

"Ami of...Tokyo. Hermes of..." 

"Caria," he filled in. Elissa's eyebrows arched slightly, but she did not meet Hermes's gaze, keeping Ami locked into her vision. 

"You are invited to join me at my ship for supper. You may arrive at dusk. Your manservant may dine with my soldiers if he so wishes." 

It was with these curt words Elissa turned on her heel, the two red robed women trailing after. 

_Elissa of Tyre! I know that name! Could it truly be...? _ She expected to see Hermes practically seething behind her. Manservant? He will not like that... But to her surprise, a moment later, Hermes began to chuckle. He pulled a leather bag, tied with thongs, out from his tunic. He opened it, and began to fish around. He finally overturned it, and several dinars fell into his awaiting palm. 

"Hermes...where did you get that?" 

"Oh, this?" he grinned. "That fat bull in the inn. I thought we'd find just what I wanted there. Gambling over knucklebones. Always plenty to go around. This will be enough to get us somewhere decent to sleep and start us on our way to wherever. We might be able to catch a ship to Attica, if we're lucky." He began to count the dinars. 

"You _stole _it?" 

He grinned, that lopsided smile that made him look like a boy with a hand in the cookie jar. 

_ He stole it! We could have been killed! Is he insane? He planned this whole thing! He's been through places like this before? Is he completely insane?_"What were you thinking?" she hissed, keeping her voice down. Hermes' smirk was suddenly wiped from his face. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"We could have been killed! That guy had a knife. You planned this. You knew exactly what kind of people would be in there, and you wanted them to try to attack us. It was a diversion, wasn't it, so you could steal their money. Hermes, how could you do that? What were you thinking?" 

"What was I thinking? Princess, I was thinking about getting you your precious crystal thing back so I can get back to full strength! You obviously have no clue what the hell you're doing! The whole reason I'm stuck with you is to make sure you make it alive! If we don't do this my way, it won't work!" 

Ami felt her fists ball up. _I never get this angry. Why does he infuriate me like this? Is he crazy? Am I? _ "You arrogant...boorish...self-centered... hubris filled...baka! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here in the first place. I never asked for your help. If you don't want to help me, then stay away! You know nothing about me, where I'm from, who I am, or why its so important for me to get my Crystal back. You never asked me, never even gave it a second of consideration! I will do this on my own if I have to!" Ami spun, running hard down the boardwalk, leaving Hermes to stand and gape at her retreating back. 

_ On my own? What am I thinking? I know textbook information of this time...this world. It won't tell me how to deal with strange men in bars, where to go for food or shelter! I may know where we are now...thanks to Elissa's interference and that hill there, if I don't miss my guess...but how am I going to book passage to Zacynthus? Or find this tactician I'm supposed to be looking for? Oh, Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan, Minako-chan...anyone! Setsuna-san! I wish you were here! I miss you! Mom! I can't do this! Athena, help me!_

  
She fled swiftly past the squatting houses, living up to her namesake of 'Mercury'. Fighting as a senshi had toned her muscles, which would have been completely hidebound otherwise. She passed through the town, hair waving rapidly around her head as she tore through the wind. The fish smell finally dissipated, replaced by the salty scent of the water as she reached the beach on the town's far end. Ami saw several boats out in the distance, trawling for fish. The beach was wide, littered with seashells and bits of driftwood. She settled herself along the rocky treeline, leaning herself against the rough bark, glad of the sense of privacy that nearby bushes provided. She tucked herself compactly together, knees under chin, sapphire eyes settling forward over the rolling sea. _The sea. Such a vast space of water isn't really my domain...more Michiru's.... Why did Poseidon choose me? Why not Michiru? Not that I would ever wish this on her! Well...maybe Poseidon just didn't want to face the wrath of Haruka.___

Ami grinned, thinking of what Haruka would do if her beloved Michiru were ever stolen from her. 

_ So I smile. Haruka-san. Michiru-san. Setsuna-san, Hotaru-chan. And of course Usagi-chan and the others. Mom and everyone. My friends and family._   
Ami straightened herself out, stretching her legs, pointing her toes. On a whim, she unfastened the sandals, digging her toes into the yellow beach. She arched her back, looking up into the sky through the balmy leaves above her. Ami laughed suddenly. 

_ I like this. Quiet. Thinking of my friends, my fellow Scouts. All I need is a good book. I've been meaning to read 'Flatland'...mathmatics and literature in one! Planes of existence...levels of being. I'm in the past...if Elissa is truly who I believe.... Quiet. Privacy. I need this. I wonder what Hermes is doing...what am I thinking? No more Hermes! Sorry, Athena. I know we were supposed to stick together....Can I do this alone? No...I can't pilot a ship alone, that's for sure. It was awkward enough with just Hermes and I. And I'm hardly an expert boatswoman. I need a crew then. A captain to pilot, men to row or trim sail. How to get it though? Elissa...she has boats...sea vessels, not just a fisherman's dingy. I have nothing to trade or pay...yet...I have knowledge she does not. But am I supposed to use it? Interference in the timestream is dangerous. I guess I know how Pluto feels now. But I must retrieve the Mercury Crystal. The future is at stake there as well.___

_Elissa has not settled in her land yet...Phoenicians are known for being shrewd traders of sharp mind if I remember my Hellenic history correctly. If this is Elissa, then Troy must be soon, and if Troy, Homer. And if Troy, then Aeneas...but all based on Elissa's mere name! I need more information. And I can get that from Elissa herself, tonight. Food...I am hungry. But I must be careful. If Elissa is who I believe, then she is on the verge of claiming her land from the town. I must be cautious. Revealing too much could damage the timestream. She is credited with the founding, not some unknown girl. And why did she invite me for dinner, but not Hermes? This is strange. There's no other way to eat, not without money. Which I obviously lack. She knows something...or is hoping I do. I can play that card for now.___

_ Chess. Like chess. I'll play chess. I don't know what she's thinking, but she is trying to get into my head. By inviting me, she is setting up her pawns, her rooks, knights and bishops. The queen is the most deadly player in chess. She may be a queen, but I am a princess, and will be a queen in my own right someday. If she wants to play chess, so be it. That is a game I know well._   
  
  


The spinning wheel of the chariot of the Sun began to reach its home in the west. Ami had let her eyes close during the few short hours between, dozing enough to sleep, but able to keep an eye on the descending sun. Being late would not help matters. Ami was nothing if not punctual. When the sky began to bleed, she had gathered herself, coming to the lip of the sea, which was beginning to roll in with the tide. She splashed water on her face and arms and feet, cleansing herself as best she could. _Ah, for a bath. But too dangerous with Poseidon in the water. I wonder if he watches me. I remember...in the Iliad. Laocoon. Swallowed by Poseidon's sea serpent. 'I fear Greeks...even when they bear gifts.'___

She straightened, smoothing the waves of her blue hair. With a single, determined deep breath, she turned and began to walk back to town. Head high, regal bearing. I will play the game. To her surprise and pleasure, people backed away as she approached them, stepping aside for the short haired young woman who passed by them, walking serenely toward the largest of the trading ships in harbor. She stopped before the two guards at the boat's plank. "I have been summoned by the queen Elissa," she announced calmly, and to her pleasant surprise, in Phoenician. She could not see the men's faces to her words, obscured as they were behind the helmets of gleaming bronze. 

_But that is their purpose. Hide emotion from outsiders or the enemy. Mindgames. Always mindgames. Once...I head Athena described as the symbol of 'the victorious mind.' She gave me this brooch. Perhaps that is its power. A reminder that the mind is what is behind all strategy, and hence all victory. And...well, am I not the planner behind the senshi?___

The long hoplite spears parted before her as the men withdrew, allowing her to pass. She crested the rim of the ship, hesitating. She felt nervous, but held it in check. Hermes was right about one thing. I have no idea what I'm doing. But I will not allow anyone else to see that! Never again! She surveyed the ship critically. She had arrived exactly on time, the sun turning the sky's mantle a sparklingly faceted amethyst prism, shot through in red, orange and dying yellow. To the east, navy blue spangled with lavender hued wisps of cloud. Far on the horizon, the nearly full moon gleamed. 

Before her, two bronze braziers let sandalwood scented smoke into the air, making it both hazy and bright at once. Two of the ruby veiled women stood to the side, silently watchful, their almond eyes casting querying looks at Ami, an interloper on their ship. Between them, a servant in a neatly kept green tunic stood, eyes downward. Elissa herself reclined on a sofa near to the ship's center. She had not changed her clothing from earlier in the day, despite the oncoming night's chill. Her wealth of hair, though, had been redone, plaited and pinioned with golden threads, tiny chimes belling down from her shoulders. Another sofa had been placed across from Elissa, of the same red silk and ebony wood. A low table lay between them, empty. Ami felt her mouth begin to water, her stomach beginning to rumble. She clamped down on it before she could allow anything to be heard. _Growling will not exactly sound impressive, Ami....___

Taking an air of false confidence, she strode forward easily, glad that the boat did not rock in bay. A gentle breeze zephyred through as she perched herself on the sofa. Elissa smiled coolly. "Greetings to you, Ami of Tokyo. You have not brought your friend?" 

"He was unable to attend, I'm afraid." 

"Pity," she said, then clapped her hands. The servant turned and brought a large, gilded box to the table. "I thought perhaps we would play a bit before supper." The servant opened the sides of the box, revealing a pegged board. Several long ivory sticks lay to one side, to the other, white sticks topped with hounds heads, as well as black sticks, topped with those of jackals. "An Egyptian game I enjoy. Do you play?" Elissa was watching her, hard. 

_There is reason behind this. This is rehearsed. She's planning something. Testing._ "The game is new to me. But I enjoy such games. I will see how Fortune smiles on beginners." 

"Beginners' luck? An interesting concept. Hounds or Jackals?" 

"Hounds, please." 

"Very well," Elissa began to place the pegs in the board. "Move around the pegs, and attempt to capture my Jackals." 

The pair faced off, Elissa allowing Ami to twirl the ivory sticks between her palms first, tossing them on the table. They took turns, moving their Hounds or Jackals around the wooden board. Fortune's wheel turned, first favoring the more experienced Elissa, then dipping lower, lifting Ami to the position of victory in the end. 

"An excellent game. Beginner's luck, I imagine?" 

"I suppose." 

Elissa clapped her hands together again, the servant appearing at her summons, removing the gameboard. The man disappeared into the ship's galley, returning moments later in silent efficiency, laying out a tray with two goblets, and a fluted pitcher of wine. The man poured a half glass for each lady, then retreated, coming again with fruits, grapes and pomegranates. Elissa took the goblet of wine in her fingers, holding it delicately as she relaxed into the cushions. "I imagine, Ami, that you must wonder at my insistence for your company this evening." 

_And so it begins...be wary. If she wants to be sultry and subversive, then I can be mysterious and all knowing._ "I have heard the tale," Ami admitted, watching her from lowered eyes. She took up her own glass of wine, examining it delicately, the ripples of red liquid placidly sitting in her glass. She sipped the drink, hiding any distaste. Elissa was watching her narrowly as she did this. Ami hid a smile behind the curve of the glass, reclining into a tasseled pillow. 

"Truly?" Elissa asked at last. "I was unaware that the tale has spread so quickly." 

_ Careful, Ami...look disinterested.... _She shrugged, taking another tiny sip of the red wine, boredly eying Elissa, who's cattish green eyes were on her. _Chess...knight to king... _"Such a tale is spread quickly. Murder, intrigue. Cleverness of the queen?" she set the wineglass down on the table, picking up a pomegranate, breaking it open and carefully removing the seeds. _Don't chow down. That won't exactly fit with the current act..._ Ami watched Elissa's mind race to take in the implications of these words. "Perhaps, though, I may hear the tale from your own lips, Elissa? Time and distance alter what may truly have happened. I'd like to hear it first hand." 

Elissa arched an eyebrow, considering. Her lips quirked into a near smile and she set the goblet down. "My father, King Belos of Tyre, died. I was to share the throne with my brother, Pygmalion. Unfortunately, he did not wish to share rule with a woman. My husband Sichaeus was of no help to me. He spent our money on ridiculous loans. Pygmalion was not pleased with the loss of monies, so he killed him. Simple enough. I left," her words were dispassionate, cool and uncaring. Almost frivolous. She continued to watch Ami during her tale, awaiting her reaction to the story. 

Ami imitated Elissa's action, lifting her eyebrows. She crossed her legs at the ankles. "But you've forgotten your escape." _Please let history be correct here!___

"And how dramatic would such an escape be? My brother would have been pleased to see my back." 

Ami laughed lightly, the sound genuine. "Not if you took all his money with you! Filling sacks with sand and putting on a show. I heard of your false cries of mourning for your husband, flinging the sacks of sand into the bay, letting Pygmalion believe it was his gold being flung overboard in your grief. Tainted with blood, you made them think?" 

Elissa chuckled mirthlessly. "Yes, I got what I wanted. Money, for land. I suppose you know of my trip to Cyprus as well?" 

"To collect eighty priestesses of Astarte? Yes." 

"The Lady of Byblos shall have a temple here." 

_ Ah! Gotcha! _But more solemnly she asked, "Here?" 

Elissa frowned deeply, making a temple of her fingers, resting her chin thoughtfully on her fingertips. "It is a good land. Rich. The fishing is good, the land located well for trade. There is a hill that would be well set for a palace. There are few such large trading cities in the western coast of Africa. The trade with the Hellenes alone would be quite profitable. I wish to claim the hill, the surrounding lands." 

"Oh? And why have you not?" 

"Know you anything of the local politics, Ami?" 

She popped a pomegranate seed into her mouth, chewing it slowly. _My, this is fresh. Very juicy. Good. _"No, Elissa, I'm afraid I do not." 

Elissa sighed. "The town we are harbored in...it is led by a local chieftain named Iarbas. I offered him a fair price. Excellent, in fact. But he claims he needs the land for his own palace," Elissa snorted derisively at this, casting an apprehensive glance at the squalid buildings along the bay. "More likely he will not believe a mere woman may lead a city without destroying it. It is a foolish although common misconception. No goddess in her wits would frown upon such a venture. I made promise to Hera I would rule with strength," she grew distant as she said this, then snapped back to Ami. 

"Astarte was given prayers by my priestesses. The oracle told us that my city would be founded by the water. Most believed the words to be quite literal. The sea is here. We rest upon it now. And yet... Forgive me, Ami. I have sometimes moments of losing myself in my emotions. My mother taught me much of the ways of the gods. Ancient tales. Seeing you in the tavern earlier this day...you, who wear the symbol of the Medusa and who has the look of one of Ocean's daughters. I thought, perchance, that the meaning may be different. Perhaps that you may solve the riddle for me." 

Elissa clapped her hands again. The two priestesses of Astarte moved forward, a large item in their hands. They held it to Elissa, who accepted it graciously. "Iarbas gave me this, telling me in his hubris that he would sell me only the land that this single oxhide would cover. Obviously, that is not enough for me to found a successful city on," dryly, she rolled her eyes. The priestesses backed away, still watching the performance. 

_The oxhide. So it presents itself. Very well. Play chess. _"I too need aid in my travels, Elissa." Ami again took up the wineglass, sipping thoughtfully. _Don't drink too much. Getting giddy will not help. _"I do know how to claim your land. But as a trader, you must know that nothing comes for free?" Elissa was smiling at Ami's words. She shifted on her parallel couch, changing the arm of the sofa she leaned against. Elissa brushed a plait behind her shoulder, waiting calmly for Ami to continue. 

_ The woman rivals the legends of Cleopatra VII! Poor Elissa. _ "In return for the information, I wish a ship. I do not need a large one. But I need men to run it, food for travel, water to drink. The men must be brave, for the journey may be dangerous." 

"Phoenician men are warriors as they are traders. They would not be afraid to stand to Poseidon himself." 

"I am glad of it." 

Elissa blinked her kohl-lined cat eyes rapidly, absorbing the phrasing Ami had used. "You ride against Poseidon," she concluded. "A perilous odyssey." 

_ Unfortunately, there will be another after me, if Homer is telling the truth in his tales. _"Yes, it seems that way. A fair trade then?" 

The space of a few breaths passed between them in the now starry night. "A fair trade," Elissa acceded quietly, "and I will give you what you ask. If you are able to solve the riddle of the oxhide." 

"Elissa, I do not believe that will be a difficulty."   


That next morning, Elissa assembled her entourage to her, various warriors and priestesses, some nobles who had accompanied her from Tyre. She and Ami had spent no small length of the previous night at work on the oxhide and their plan. Knives had been brought to them for their work. In a strange kind of silent excitement, they had worked the night through, adrenaline coursing through their veins. _I am a part of this. This will happen because of me. It may be wrong, to interfere. But is it destiny? Do we make our own, or is it fixed for us? For now, I will let it be fixed. I only hope that this is right.___

The priestesses had aided them in their industry, piling their work into heaps. Aurora was stretching from her rosy bed in the east when they completed their task, and in exhaustion and gratefulness, Elissa provided Ami with food and a bath for the day, so that they may face Iarbas together, fresh and prepared.   
A new dress was provided for Ami, a silky deep emerald, strewn through with opal and jade. They gleamed in the candlelight at the dresser and in the shafts of brightness that came through the slats in the deck above. Elissa sent her own maid to weave white pearls into Ami's hair, which was being held back by a thin silvery coronet. A long swath of the material draped at Ami's left shoulder, trailing into a thin, floaty cape down her back. She had nearly left the tiny cabin when she had felt the absence of something. 

_The Medusa brooch.___

Solemnly, she lifted it, fastening it to the place where the dress crossed over her chest. It hung there lightly, warmed from Ami's touch. _It's a strange thing, this brooch. Medusa is supposed to be so ugly. Ugly enough to turn men to stone. Yet there is something oddly comforting about her face. The snaky hair and closed eyes. I wonder why Athena persists in wearing it. I cannot only be power.___

A priestess tapped lightly on the doorframe, catching Ami's attention. Ami followed her out to the top deck, where Elissa awaited. She too was dressed as a queen, exchanging her yellow silk for red, tightly bound in gold sash around her waist, the ends trailing down her right hip. A broad many-colored collar had been settled over her shoulders, her myrrh scented hair straight, held back by a faceframe of gold, studded in topaz and opal. Her catlike eyes remained detailed by the black kohl, now accented in a soft golden sheen. Ami had allowed only the thinnest touch of makeup to be applied to herself, nothing nearly so dramatic as Elissa. Barely a shimmer of aquamarine touched the lids of her lazuli eyes. 

"You look a queen today, Ami. The dress suits you," Elissa said by way of greeting the younger woman. "You have royal blood," Elissa decided as she smiled. For once, the smile was truly genuine, light and airy, without the solemnity that she usually carried. Elissa looked her age. 

_ She is not more than four...perhaps five...years older than myself. She has seen so much already. Married, widowed, founding a city. This is a woman to be reckoned with. She will be successful. Elissa...I'm sorry. I know how your tale ends. _But aloud, Ami replied to her, "Thank you, Elissa." 

"Am I right? About the royalty?" she looked strangely pleading. 

_ So young. _ Ami smiled sadly. "Yes, Elissa." 

The other woman brightened even more. "Then as a sister of the blood royal, you have aided me. Come. Let us go and claim my land."   
  


At last Iarbas arrived, some hour after they had completed the final stage of preparation. Ami imitated Elissa as she stood in wait, tall and with head aloft on the currents of the breeze, hands folded neatly downward, prayerlike. They stood at the foot of the hill, the priestesses of Astarte arrayed behind them, their red robes obscuring their features as the helmets of the soldiers veiled their faces, eyes the only visible feature. 

Iarbas could only be described as swarthy. He was middle aged, large, muscular, with a half shaven beard of black, slicked with grease into neat curls on his broad chest. He wore little armor, wrist guards and a baldric with a sword tucked neatly in. His tunic was old but well mended and brown. His men were not so cleanly, following him at a close distance. They were rougher men, beards unkempt and with various styles of blade, axe or knife for weapon. He grinned through his curled beard when he saw both Elissa and Ami, standing respectfully at the base of the hill. Grasses waved at their feet, sending pods from the sheafs into the air, fluttering around them. "Brought a friend with you, eh, Elissa? Your runner said you came to claim some land from me. An oxhide's worth to found your city?" the laughter than accompanied his statement was little more than a sarcastic chortle. "I'm perfectly willing to give it to you!" 

Elissa frowned only, back straightening. She began to open her mouth to say some sharp retort, but found the air filled with Ami's quiet voice. 

"You will give it to her? The space within the oxhide? If you will, swear it to Zeus Oathkeeper, so that we may know your words are bound true." 

Iarbas was able to turn his eyes from the lithe form of Elissa a moment. "To Zeus Oathkeeper? Fine. One oxhide's worth of land." 

"The space within the hide. Swear it!" 

The pockets of flesh around Iarbas's eyes closed around their contents, which gleamed as he watched this strange girl in the blue silk robes of a queen. "The space within..." he spoke reluctantly but convincingly, "one oxhide. To Elissa of Tyre. By Zeus Oathkeeper I swear it." 

"And may he strike you with his lightning if you break that pledge," Ami told him. _Hmm. I wonder if that is where that 'let lightning strike me' idiom comes from. He suspects something. But it is done. Now, the hide._ Ami and Elissa each bent down into the grasses, lifting a thin thread that disappeared in length to the ground. From behind them, the eighty assembled priestesses took up the length as well, holding the thin line around the hill high enough for all to see. 

Elissa took their performance from here, calling out with her cool contralto, "Your words have been heard and witnessed. See the expanse within the hide. Encompassed by the oxhide you gave me, the hill I claim. And Zeus Oathkeeper must hold you to your word!" 

Iarbas stared at the formation of women before him, the line of which stretched out to the sides of the hill. "You've cheated!" he declared. "That's not the oxhide! No one can slice a hide that thin!" 

To this pronouncement, a slightly annoyed sounding baritone said, "Oh, and I suppose you're an expert weaver now, Iarbas?" 

"What?" 

Heads swiveled around, finding a blur move quickly past them. Directly before Elissa and Ami, the frowning figure of Hermes stood. "I don't think Father would be pleased if I told him people were swearing by his name, then trying to weasel their way out of it. Don't you think?" He folded his arms expectantly, waiting for Iarbas's reaction. 

Iarbas's reaction was to fall flat on his face, prostrate. "Lord Hermes!" he covered his head with his hands, his men imitating their leader, abandoning their weapons on the ground. 

Ami's mouth opened slightly in surprise. _Hermes? Why did he...? Well. It seems he can still run faster than the wind. And how does Iarbas know him? Ami realized she was gaping, so she straightened herself out, calming her face. I will not let him catch me by surprise, being helpful or not.___

"Forgive, Lord Hermes!" Iarbas begged. 

"Tell your men to stand down. Then I suggest you pay up to your pledge, or Zeus is going to cook your hides." 

_ Punning, Hermes. Not funny.___

"Yes, Lord Hermes! At once!" Iarbas scrambled to his feet, his men following suit. 

"Announce it," Hermes told him. 

Iarbas's stomach must of fell out from under him with the look of complete nausea that filled his face. He croaked reluctantly, "This land belongs...to Elissa of Tyre." 

"Good. Now get out of here." 

"Yes, Lord Hermes." 

Iarbas and his men backed away, then eventually broke into a dead run. Hermes smirked after them, then broke into that full lopsided grin when he turned to Ami and a somewhat surprised Elissa. "Well?" he asked Ami, who was smiling despite herself. 

"You have...good timing," she admitted. 

"Hey, I'm not Messenger of the Gods for nothing you know." 

"Apparently. Hermes, how exactly did Iarbas recognize you?" 

He grinned wickedly, shrugging and looking falsely innocent. "I helped him out awhile ago. A long while ago. Iarbas isn't that stupid, despite what he looks like, believe it or not. Apparently my not aging in the last twelve years was enough to convince him I am Hermes." 

Elissa only watched the exchange in a strange fascination. The priestesses had quietly drawn closer together, the warriors behind them watching carefully, unsure how to react to the presence of an admitted god. Hermes was not unaware of the stares, however, and looked out at them, announcing. "I was out for a morning run. You lucked out," he shrugged as this were the most perfectly natural thing in the world. 

It was the next morning when they left. The ship bayed in readiness at port, a thin vessel, Elissa's smallest, rigged carefully by her boatswain so that two people may steer the ship unaided. Hermes had disappeared the day before after the claiming of the land, reappearing at dusk to speak to Ami at length. With some reluctance, they agreed to try the seas themselves again. Hermes again vanished, promising to return for her and the ship at dawn. 

He did as he promised, and now stood at the helm of the trader ship, busily doing something Ami could not quite see from where she stood beside Elissa on the docks. 

"She is called the Seastrider, by my men," Elissa told her as they stood in wait for the last of her sailors to disembark. "A good ship, in good repair. I hope she will take you to your destination swiftly." 

"It is most generous of you, Elissa." 

Elissa smiled faintly, taking up Ami's arm. "Come. Walk with me a bit, before you leave," they began to stroll down the boardwalk, two of Elissa's guards trailing at distance, ever watching their mistress. "As for being generous, Ami, it was our deal, a fair bargain. Although I wonder if perhaps Neith gave you some knowledge beforehand?" 

Ami glanced at the woman beside her, and was not unaware of the questioning in her words. 

_ Trying to see if there are other gods than Hermes helping me, most likely.___

In response to Elissa's question, Ami merely, shrugged. "Knowledge can come in many forms." 

Elissa let out a ringing laugh. "Ami, you truly make me laugh. You must come to my city again." 

"Have you considered a name for it yet?" 

Elissa paused in her steps, looking thoughtfully to the sky. "I have. I believe I shall name it Carthage. Does it suit you?" 

Ami smiled, beginning to walk again. "It is a fine name." 

"Oh?" she arched an eyebrow as they reached the end of the pier in their stroll. "I have also," Elissa began, "put some consideration into my brother's actions. I wish to split ties with my past. Begin anew. In this time, in this place. A new life. I was thinking of taking on a new name...have you any...suggestions?" 

Ami's eyes crinkled as she tried to restrain laughter. _And so I name her as well! It seems strangely ironic, somehow._ "Well. There is a name that comes to mind for you. What of Dido?" 

"Dido," Elissa murmured to herself, repeating it softly. "Dido. I believe that I like it. Yes. Dido." They turned and began to walk back towards the ship, taking their time as they moved easily along. "Ami. I wished to give you a gift. Since you will not accept the dress from yesterday, I thought, perhaps, that you may like it. It is Ouroboros, the Ocean Serpent." 

From off her arm, Elissa slipped a silvery armbracelet. Ami had seen it that morning, after she had come to the deck to meet Elissa for the breakfast meal. Again, Ami wore the simple white dress that Athena had given her at the start of this odyssey, and Elissa had attempted to press her into keeping the dress from the day before. Ami had argued simply that she would not need such a garment, and it would be likely to be destroyed if anything happened to the ship. Elissa had eventually given in, but apparently not up. 

The armlet was wrought of sterling, the fine scales of the snakes detailed lovingly by its artisan, tiny, lapis lazuli embedded in the metal for eyes. There were two snakes, each swallowing each others tail in an endless circle. Elissa held it out for Ami in her palm, pressing it closer. "It will fit you. Please, Ami. Accept the gift. Of hospitality, if nothing else." 

Reluctantly, Ami picked up the adornment, looking at it carefully as she asked, "Why do you give me Ouroboros?" 

Elissa's emerald eyes widened slightly as she slowly frowned. "Ami, do you remember that I told you you appeared to be one of the Daughter's of Oceanus, the night you told me of the oxhide?"   
  
"I do." 

"Do you not know of Ouroboros?" 

_ The word is familiar, yet.... _"No, Elissa. I would care to know though, if you will tell me." 

"You do not know the tales of the sacred, Ami? Did your mother not teach you?" 

"Things are different where I am from." 

Elissa blinked rapidly as she absorbed this information. Then she tightened her grip on Ami's arm, barking a sharp command of "Leave us," to the guards. They hovered in the background as Elissa angled Ami away from them, taking them closer to the water. She folded her hands a moment before beginning, breathing steadily as though gathering herself. "I will try to explain the legend. It is no simple task, and I may be unprepared to teach so much in so few words. 

"Myth, belief, gods and goddesses. They are all twined together, symbols of our beliefs. A single snake, or two snakes, are the River Ocean, which surrounds the world. Ourobouros is the Ocean, endlessly swallowing itself whole, encompassing all things. Two serpents, joined as they are on the jewelry, serves as a mandala of balance between man and woman. As in the cadusus of Hermes. Ourobouros is eternal, the symbol of life and death, encompassing all things. The sea is a birthplace of life, a cauldron of generation and rebirth. The sea is the womb of life. Without water, everything dies, dried away and lifeless. Like water, the legends are fluid. Feminine wisdom, the moon and the tides, strength of the mind that is guided by the goddesses of wisdom. This is wisdom you must know. Remember." 

Ami took the armlet in her hands, then slipped it up her right arm until it fit snugly against her skin. It gleamed, bright against her tanning arm. "Thank you..." Ami whispered as Elissa gravely waited for her to speak. "For the information as much as the jewelry." 

"It is no trinket. It was my mother's before mine. I wish for you to have it. For Carthage, and the people who will live here." 

"It will rise, Elissa. And be powerful." 

Once, the queen of Carthage nodded, then began to work her way back to the ship, Ami a step behind her, the fingers of her hand trailing across the cool quicksilver of her gift.   


The anchor was pulled up from the water, and the sail unfurled, curving outward, a stuffed belly of wind. Ami smiled faintly as she recognized the symbol woven into the sail's pattern. Twin, white snakes swallowed one another's tails, gracing a deep blue background. This seen, Ami waved good-bye to Elissa, who, with her guards, stood at the edge of the pier. _Elissa. Queen Dido of Carthage. Such a dramatic life. And death. Kills herself, so the story goes, for love of Aeneas, after he leaves her. _Ami turned from the fading scene behind her and began to help Hermes tie a shipman's knot to the mast. That done, Hermes leaned against the mast, folding his arms. "You know Princess, there's something I've wondered about ships." 

Ami glanced sideways at him while he stared absently up at the sky. "And that is?" 

"They're always called 'she'. Why is that, anyway?"__

_ I'm not really sure...I think I once read though...and it would certainly sound good now.... _"You don't know? I thought it would be obvious." Ami took on a posture similar to Hermes, slumping against the wooden mast. She tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear. Hermes, though, at her casual attitude, focused on her, lifting his eyebrows and dryly saying, 

"Forgive me for not being so insightful. What is it?" 

Ami allowed a small hint of laughter mingled with pride to color her words. "Because like the sea, no man can ever truly tame her."   
  
  
  


~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~ 

  
Elissa actually is an alternate name for queen Dido of Carthage. I took the story of the founding of Carthage out of Edith Hamilton's '_Mythology,'_ which is indispensable for Greek mythology. The information about Ourobouros is taken from Barbara G. Walker's _'Encyclopedia of Women's Signs and Secrets.'_   
  



	5. Through The Straits

Ami's Odyssey   
  
  


_In a large enough universe,_   
_even unlikely things can happen._   
_As unlikely as a tiny ball of star-soot_   
_taking upon itself, one day,_   
_to say aloud,_   
_to one and all,_   
_"I am."_

_"I am...." it declares, singing into the darkness. "I am, I am, I am, I am!"_   
_To which the darkness has an answer, befitting any upstart._   
_"So what? Big deal, big deal, big deal...so what?"_   
_The latest little world mind ponders this reply, considers it, and finally concludes, "So even this is only a beginning?"_   
_"Smart child," comes the only possible response. "You figure it out."_   
_Gaia spins on, silently contemplating what it means to be born into a sarcastic universe._   
_"We'll see about this," she murmurs to herself, and like a striped kitten, purrs. "We shall see."_   
_-From "Earth" by David Brin_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 4- Through the Straits   


Gutting fish, Ami discovered, is gross. 

It was evening now, and Ami had taken her usual place at the bow of the ship, leaning against it, enjoying the sensation of wind in her face. She and Hermes had explored their ship after setting sail, rummaging through the supplies left to them by Elissa and her traders. There were changes in clothes, sets of sandals for each, as well as four of the rounded, domed shields that Elissa's men carried. The weaponry consisted of a set of four leaf bladed bronze swords and four slender bronze knives, finely wrought and gleaming in the light they were held to. 

Wine and fresh water were carried in jugs, their bottoms rounded. To pour drink, they tipped the cask onto its side, spilling. Food consisted mostly of dried and salted fish, along with bread, olives and cheese. It had been Hermes' brilliant idea to fish with some netting they found with the supplies, and had spent the later part of the morning casting the net into the water. Fishing at that point of day was not quite as profitable as the earlier hours, but he managed to catch a fair sized batch of marine life. Ami had asked if she could help do anything, and had ended up receiving a lesson in gutting and de-boning fish. No further than her second attempt, Ami's knife had slipped against the guts, and had sliced lightly into the webbing between her thumb and pointer finger, just deep enough to draw blood. 

She had poured some of the stinging wine onto the cut, and Hermes had bound it in a bit of cloth. He didn't call her clumsy, and she was glad of it. He had, also much to her surprise, offered to make dinner, frying the fillets in the bronze brazier. "Your hand's cut. I don't want to eat blood," he claimed, but his voice had been teasing, not harsh. 

So now, Ami leaned against the prow, watching the setting chariot of the sun. The sky looked as though some celestial painter had spilled their oils across it, blue and red and orange and gold, mixed into the inky blueness of the dawning stars. She flexed her fingers experimentally, the white handkerchief spotted just slightly with her crimson blood, holding it before her eyes to see the folds of the cloth. _Sometimes I don't know what to think of him. He acts like such a baka half the time...then he turns around and helps me with Elissa, then binds my hand. Not that I couldn't do that myself. With luck, I am going to be a doctor. I wonder if it's some sort of strange god personality trait. Still...._

Ami sighed, returning her hand to the wooden beam. _I'm just not good at this sort of thing. I'm better with books. Rei...she would probably just yell at him. Mako-chan would want to beat him into a bloody pulp. And if I were...._

"Hey Princess!" at Hermes' call, Ami turned from her reverie, seeing him hefting a plate into the air, beaming. "Dinner's ready!" 

_ And if I were Usagi-chan or Minako-chan.... _ Ami walked over, settling herself down comfortably on a pillow beside the fire. Hermes handed her the plate. Ami looked at the concoction that he had made. Two strips of black char were stretched out across the baked clay, black and crumbling. They smoked. 

"Hermes?" 

"What?" he stuffed a mouthful of the burned fish into his face before Ami could stop him, then turned green, spitting it out. "You mortals eat this stuff?" he asked incredulously. 

"It's usually not burned like this. Hermes...have you ever cooked before?" 

"It looked easy enough." 

_ That's probably what Minako thought too...._ Ami sighed, closing her eyes and placing a hand to her temple, rubbing it distractedly. "Is there any more fish?" 

"Couple. Why?" 

"Give it to me." 

Ami gathered some of the bread and the remains of the fish, slicing the raw meat into flat fillets, fingers easily dancing between the food and the knife. _I may not be a culinary genius like Mako-chan, but at least I can make.... _"Have a sandwich." 

"A what? With raw fish?" 

"Like sushi," Ami shrugged and bit into her creation. _It's okay, I guess...._ She chewed it thoughtfully. Hermes inspected her bread and fish layering, wrinkling his nose, but finally took an experimenting mouthful. He shrugged. 

"Better than that mess I made." 

"Well, it could have been worse." 

"How?" 

"Curry?" 

"What?" 

"Nothing." 

Ami took another bite to prevent him from asking her again, since her mouth was full. The pair settled into calm silence, chewing thoughtfully. Ami glanced at him, looking sharply away when he caught her stare. _Great. Stare at him, Ami. _ She cleared her throat and took a sip of the warm wine. _And don't drink too much! Water in this era isn't exactly the best thing to drink...well, there may not be any pollutants, but it also hasn't been cleaned...getting drunk is NOT going to help matters._

"Princess?" 

"Yes?" 

"When you yelled at me..." he began, shifting nervously on his pallet, tucking a leg closer to him, "you said that I didn't know what the Crystal thing was for. Um, what is it?" 

_ Ah. I was beginning to wonder if he would ever ask me. I suppose this is as good a time as any. Better than most, actually. I must be careful though. Athena refused information about the future...I should be vague about that...but I do need to tell him about the Mercury Crystal. Something, at least. But...maybe I can turn one, small thing, to my advantage...it's getting very tiring._

"I would be happy to. On one condition." 

Hermes frowned, which was slowly becoming a glare. "I wasn't expecting rules to be set up on information. The way you were talking, it sounded like you were mad I didn't...." 

Ami laughed lightly, shaking her head. She waved a hand carelessly to stop him from saying any more. "It's a small thing. My name. It's Mizuno Ami, not 'Princess.' Call me Ami." 

Hermes stared, blank faced, for a moment. Then he grinned. "All right...Ami. Tell me about this Crystal thing." 

Ami looked at the mug in her hand, swirling the contents around the bottom as she collected her thoughts. "First, it's not a 'thing'. It's a henshin Crystal. It allows me to tap into my powers, so that I may transform into Sailor Mercury...." 

"Wait," Hermes was frowning. "Sailor Mercury. Like Sailor Pluto?" 

"Something like that, yes." 

"There's more of you? Since when? Wait. Never mind. Future stuff. But I thought you would have a stick or something, like Pluto." 

Ami shrugged. _Stick? Oh, a pen. Best not to elaborate. Let him wonder about that. _"Second, it is my duty to protect the Moon Princess, for she has a great destiny." Should I mention the Silver Imperium Crystal? No...I'd better not... who knows what information Hermes has of it? 

"You mean you're going to guard Selene's kid? In the future? What's so special about her?" 

Ami, by way of reply, only tucked her knees under her chin, casting her eyes to the sea before the prow of the ship. She said nothing. 

Hermes rolled his eyes. "More future stuff that I can't know?" 

Ami closed her eyes. 

Hermes leaned back, looking at the darkening heavens. Selene's face was nearly to its fullest, glowing gently in the dying splendor of the sun. Hermes glanced at the young lady he sat beside, the way she looked so solemnly at the sea, young, but already tired. She paid him no attention, instead only watching the rising and falling beams of the ship. After a moment, Hermes grinned. "Hey, Prin-" he hadn't even quite gotten the word out before Ami was glaring sharply at him. "Ami?" he corrected. 

She lifted an eyebrow archly. 

Their eyes locked for a moment, then they both laughed, Ami shaking her head at Hermes' lopsided smile. "Ami," Hermes asked as they stopped their laughter, "you're a Guardian, you said. How many others?" 

"Mmm," Ami nodded, unfolding herself and settling into a more comfortable position. She looked to the flickering embers of the brazier before them. "Serenity has four guardians altogether. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and myself. There's also Pluto, who you've met...." 

Ami continued, even though Hermes face soured and he looked away. 

"...as well as Neptune, Uranus and Saturn. They have different duties from the four Guardians, though." 

"You are referring to the planets, I assume, not my relatives?" 

_ Relatives? Oh! Ami, you dummy! Those are the Latin names...well, okay, not Uranus, that's Greek, but the others...Latin names of gods! _ "Yes, the planets." 

"And powers...like what?" 

For a moment, a look of pain washed over Ami's face as she remembered the reason she was brought here. "Elemental, mostly. I am...water. So is Michiru-san, Sailor Neptune. Pluto is time, Uranus is air, like the sky her planet is named for. Saturn is death...the silent star. Venus is love and energy, Mars is fire, Jupiter is thunder and lightning." 

"And these powers? What do they do?" 

Ami shrugged. "Different things. Different attacks. I have the Mercury Harp, of course, and the Shine Aqua Illusion...Venus has the 'Love and Beauty Shock' and the 'Venus Love-Me Chain', Jupiter has...." 

"Wait!" Hermes was laughing again, shaking his head as he stopped the startled Ami. "_Venus_ has the Love-Me Chain? Ami, doesn't that sound a little...kinky?" 

Ami blushed a bright red. "Oh! Ah...well." _Minako-chan, I wonder what you would say if you heard that one.... _"Actually...it does, just a little...." she slowly, reluctantly, admitted. 

The pair sat talking for several hours, chatting more comfortably as the time passed. The unease that had hung over them in the earlier part of their voyage was passing behind them as they glided over the waves of the moonlit sea. It was late into the night when they finally dozed into sleep, curling up in their blankets before the dully glowing bronze brazier, heads pillowed on their arms.   
  


They did not see the milky whiteness that flowed in streamers from the rocks they approached near dawn, so deep was the relaxed sleep they had fallen into. As they dreamed, the blank silence enveloped them, obscuring the rocks that began to drift closer to their ship, making watercolor silhouettes from their crags. It was the stillness that awoke Ami, the slowing of the sea. No waves bobbed their boat, gently rocking them like children in the cradle. The only sound was the lapping of waves against the hull of the ship. 

She opened her eyes to see Hermes' mist shrouded hand a few inches from her face. In his sleep, one of his arms had come free of the blanket, and was now palm down before her. Ami grimaced, wiping sleep from her eyes and curling up to look around. _Fog...that's usual on the sea, surely. But...those rocks are awfully close. I'd hate to wake Hermes so early, but he'd probably know the way around the rocks better than I. And...there's something not right about this. It just...feels...wrong. Interference from Poseidon again?_

"Hermes," Ami shed her blanket, and shook him gently on the shoulder. "Hermes. Trouble. Wake up." 

"Trouble?" Hermes was upright in a moment, looking around. "Fog. Great." He headed to the helm, taking the rudder. 

"Do you know where we are?" 

Hermes frowned, concentrating. "This mist makes things difficult," he furrowed his brows, looking sharply around them. He suddenly swore violently and leapt up, heading to their supplies. 

"Hermes? What...?" 

"Help me find something to plug our ears." 

_Our ears...?_   
_ ...the island of the Sirens,_   
_ those creatures who spellbind any man alive,_   
_ whoever comes their way. Whoever draws too close,_   
_ off guard, and catches the Sirens voices in the air-_   
_ no sailing home for him, no wife rising to meet him,_   
_ no happy children beaming up at their father's face._   
_ The high, thrilling song of the Sirens will transfix him,_   
_ lolling there in the meadow, round them heaps of corpses_   
_ rotting away, rags of skin shriveling on their bones...._   
Shock registered on Ami's face. _The mists! Of course! The Sirens!_

Hermes was continuing, "...on these islands. They sing and lure men to their deaths." 

_ Men, huh? _"If you haven't noticed, I'm not a man." 

"Yeah, I noticed." Hermes froze as he realized what he had just said, then hurriedly busied himself with finding something to stuff their ears with. Ami fought back a flush, also realizing what she had said. _Smooth, Ami. Blurting stuff out again. But I'd better...._

"Hermes?" she asked when he suddenly stiffened. A moment later, Ami discovered why as the sound reached her own ears. 

It was heartbreakingly beautiful. 

A wordless song, otherworldly in nature. 

If glass could sing, this would be its song, shimmering and clean, both frail and strong at once, rising and falling in cadence with every moment. The crystalline notes plucked against each other, softly, the sound of chimes in the breeze of the cool air, enchanting their pair of listeners. 

Hermes straightened, turning, dazed. Ami clamped her hands over her ears in attempt to drown out the sound, squeezing her eyes closed in an attempt to concentrate. _I will fight! No one has ever survived the Sirens' spell! None but Odysseus, because he was tied to the mast! Hermes...mmmm...the sound is so beaut...No! I have to do something! Hermes is...already heading for the side! It's a spell. It's just a spell. And there is always a way to break a spell! In the legends, how do you break a spell?_

Ami's eyes broke open as the answer washed over her. 

She forced herself to ignore the music, despite its growing intensity in her mind. It drowned out all thoughts, leaving Ami with a single motion to complete. She forced herself around Hermes, standing before him, feeling her resistance to the Siren song crumbling. 

She reached up, taking his face in her hands. 

Then she pressed her mouth against his. 

In the darkness behind her eyelids, she felt, rather than saw, his eyes clear from the glazed look, turning to shock instead. She felt his body become rigid as she held him. Then, after a moment, he relaxed against her. 

From around them, the harmony of the glassy song shattered, screaming as a sword against a plate of iron mail. The pair flinched as the sound penetrated their ears, vibrating around them. The music took on a desperate scream, a protest against its break. Shards of the crystal song exploded around them, keening and wailing now, the beauty of their song replaced with a cry of agony. From the cliffs, shadowy figures leapt in outrage. 

The faint currents carried them away from the strait of the Sirens.   
  


The heat was sweltering. 

For two days, Poseidon let the heat of the sun blister their heads, sending no cooling breezes to ease the hot gusts that carried them forward. No islands decorated the horizon, leaving them on a prairie of salty water. Even the nights grew warm with the air, a hot humidity that pressed like a blanket. 

_We're running low on water._ Ami tested the jug for any clear liquid. Dismayed that it was so low, she turned to look at Hermes, perched as usual on the tiller. Concernedly, she brushed a waving lock of hair from her azure eyes. _We need to stop and get more water if this keeps up. Maybe that line of clouds to the west will bring rain. A thin silver line was thickening on the horizon, churning into a fluffy bank of haziness. This heat...even if we ration for the rest of the trip, we'll have to stop for more water._

Ami took a place on the opposing side of the rudder from Hermes, leaning against the rail. "We need to stop." 

Hermes gave her an oddly calculating look. 

_ He keeps looking at me like that! It's unnerving._

"It's the water, isn't it?" 

Ami nodded, pushing her hair away from the perspiration on the nape of her neck. It clung to her skin stickily with the heat. _Ah, for a cool breeze._

"How low?" 

"Two, maybe three days if we ration." 

Hermes bit his lip, distractedly looking out over the grey waters. "There's some islands we can make for. We can sail through the night, then stop for the day. Sound all right?" 

Ami agreed, standing, then took her position at the prow again.   
  


Night did little to ease the muggy temperature. The clouds had formed during the next hour, a churning, if patchy, stew of greyness above. _I wonder if that is what is called ominous. _Ami watched Hermes clear the remains of yet another dinner of sushi sandwiches away. She sat at the helm, steering easily in the tepid waters, angling them the way Hermes had directed. 

"Get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow," Hermes said as he came to relieve Ami from her shift. 

"I don't mind. You spend most of the day at it. You must be sleepy." 

"I'm not tired." 

Ami gave him a quizzical look. _Why is he arguing about such a silly thing?_

"I want to make sure that we get there in the morning. Those clouds are bothering me. They obscure the stars," his face was closed, not open for argument. _Stubborn. This is ridiculous. He's been acting strange since the Sirens. I don't want to argue about who's going to stay up late._

"Fine," Ami released the wooden handle as Hermes took it up.   


It was late that night when Ami awoke to a feeling that did not bode well. The clouds were dissipating overhead, and the thick, hot air was being replaced by a stinging salty breeze. They were traveling very fast now that the wind was up, sail stretched to its fullest with the invisible hand of the wind. Ami looked for her companion, and found him rummaging through their supplies. She unfurled herself from her sleeping pallet and joined him, remaining silent at his side. 

Hermes, still intent on digging through supplies, told her, "It's the stars. They're wrong. Those clouds...changed them around. It's an illusion of some sort." 

He found what he was looking for. The four swords and knives that Elissa had left to them. He selected the first leaf bladed weapon, hefted it experimentally, then handed it to a surprised Ami. "I don't know how to use...." 

"Any weapon is better than none against Scylla." 

_ Scylla...._   
_ No mariners yet can boast they've raced their ship_   
_ past Scylla's lair without some mortal blow-_   
_ with each of her six heads she snatches up_   
_ a man from the dark-prowed craft and wisks him off...._   
_ beneath it awesome Charybdis gulps the dark water down,_   
_ that terror!....No, hug Scylla's crag-sail on past her-top speed!_   
  


The words of Circe the witch. Odysseus's men were to row as swiftly as possible. _We have no crew to do so, relying on the currents. There is nowhere to hide on board. And across from that terrifying monster, lays another, the whirlpool creature Charybdis._

She tested her blade, watching the iron glint in the dull grey light. She practiced with it a moment, adjusting her hand on the leather grip. The blade was well balanced, even and finely wrought. "There's no way around Scylla or Charbdyis?" 

Hermes, weighting his own sword, said evenly, "No. The currents are taking us straight forward. Poseidon is probably behind the winds. When we get there, split up. The current will probably slow, allowing Scylla a better chance at us. If we get past, hang on. Get to the rudder if you can. We'll steer as close to the rocks as possible." 

A cavern was yawning sleepily ahead of them, the darkness as murky as the air they breathed. They approached the cliff wall, and passed through the shadow of the opening. Hermes stoked the fire, bringing its light in the brazier higher for light. Red and orange flames licked at the crumbling walls.   
Ami felt her breath grow loud in her ears as she looked around the cavern, her heart strangely calm in the silence. _I've faced youma before. Okay, maybe none had six heads, but I can do this. Both of us can. I have to get home._

The mute silence began to break as the sounds of dogs braying vibrated up the shaft of the tunnel. _That is the sound of Scylla.... _They drifted slowly forward, warily watching the angles around them for the sight of the monster. _Poor Scylla. She was a lovely girl once.... _The howling of hounds grew more intense as a light pierced the darkness, fraying the red light of their flames into a dusky shade._ I see her. She is perched at the threshold of the exit. That will make Charbdyis very close.... _Ami hefted her sword up, readying her other hand beside her. It was a weapon made for a single hand to wield. Beside her, Hermes did the same, and she heard him taking several deep breaths in preparation. _He has never faced such a danger as a mortal. I wonder if he could truly be killed with a demigod status. He would know better than I. And he looks afraid, though he conceals it well. That is a mark in his favor. He has courage. Athena...Themis...are you watching him? Do you see? Watch us, Defender of Heroes, Pallas Athena... please see us through this fight._

They drew closer to the awaiting form on the rocks. The light grew strong enough to see the coils of Scylla's body wrapping around jutting outcroppings of stone. Six fanged heads turned their attention to the oncoming boat. The baying beated around them against the sides of the cave, echoing wildly as the creature that was once a young woman spied the intruders in her domain. Sleek bronze scales rattled against the stone as she slid closer to her prey. Six mouths gaped, barking hoarsely. 

With unnatural speed, a head lightning struck the boat, first attacking Hermes. His godly speed intact, he avoided the strike, slashing with the sword. The head crashed into the deck, but withdrew so quickly that even Hermes's swift retaliation to the blow caused no harm. Two more darting heads howled their way closer, each selecting one of the awaiting figures. 

Ami wheeled, leaping backward, landing uncomfortably close to the rim of the ship. _Don't want to get pinned here.... _ She spun across the wood as another head rammed in, splintering the wood of the place she had stood. As the head smashed into the rock, Ami turned her sword in her hand, using it dagger style, and rammed it into the neck behind the jaw, burying it hilt deep. The blade struck bone, causing her body to jar as she pulled it down and out. She staggered as Scylla threw her head up in pain, bellowing. 

Green syrupy blood trailed from the blade. _Did I really do that...? _She cast a swift glance at Hermes, who was not faring much better than she was. He was swinging himself around the mast, causing one head, sloping in from above, to slash at the neck of another, which was snaking its way around the deckboards. In fury, they reeled away from each other. These two heads withdrew, allowing another set to attack both Ami and Hermes. This time they were not so quick to strike without thinking. 

They combined their attack, multiple heads ramming down at once. Ami brought her sword to bear again as she fought for her own life. _I want to help Hermes, but I can't if I'm trying to...! _Another blow from her sword slashed across the bridge of the long teeth. The second tore forward as she brought herself to readiness again. This one banked a few feet above the deck, glancing above Ami. As she turned her blade to meet it, the first head crashed in, cutting for her head, teeth bared. 

Ami dropped and rolled, feeling the sword torn from her grasp as Scylla bit into the space it occupied. The blade splashed into the dark waters below as the mouth released it. She heard Hermes scream her name as the pair of heads slanted swiftly for her, himself entangled with another part of Scylla.   
Her hands came over her head as she pulled herself upright. Her eyes widened as she saw the gnashing fangs. 

_ 'If you need my strength, call upon it, and it will serve you.'_

"Athena...." 

Somewhere, deep within her, Ami felt the sensation of the sea, rising in a tide within her. It warmed her and cooled her at the same time, rising as she called it, a familiar feeling, but blended with something new, something strange, but powerful and wonderful. It was this feeling that she summoned to her hands. 

She felt a thud as though it were against her own body. Then a second ring of flesh against solidity accompanied it, hard on its heels. The two heads reeled backward. She felt a strange heat on her chest, mingled with coolness. Ami did not need to look to see what it was. The closed, silvery lidded eyes of the Medusa brooch had opened, gleaming a silvery sheen as Ami directed the power within it to protecting herself. 

Like a lens, she felt her senses expand. _An aegis! A shield! This is what Athena gave me when we left! Hermes...._ She increased the size of the aegis, and it blossomed at her command, a thin, watery film that shimmered in shades of silver and aqua. The rim of the shield pressed against the head that had trapped Hermes in a corner, pushing it back and outside the deck. 

"Ami...." the word was said in amazement, as the small, blue haired young woman held her hands above her, pressing the rippling field outward. Scylla regrouped, snarling as each of the heads charged together, baying in fury at being deprived of their prey. They beat against the shield, hammering at it with their own body. Ami winced as she felt each blow impact on the aegis. 

Again and again they rammed against the defense, forcing Ami to her knees as they pressed downward. Her face contorted in pain as teeth slashed against her, she struggled to keep her hands aloft, protecting herself, Hermes. Wind flowed around her, tossing her hair around her head in an aureole, a halo of watery hair. From behind her, another pair of arms joined her strength, taking some of the heavy load of weight onto his. 

The current carried them out from the archway, leaving Ami to collapse onto the deck. Hermes pulled her upright. "Ames? Ames!" 

"Charbdyis," she responded as she gripped his hand. With that word to remind him, Hermes began to set her down, but she prevented him, pushing him away. "I'm all right," she staggered a step forward. "Get the rudder." 

Behind them, Scylla's howling echoed as she wrapped herself back around her rock, a single head poking out into the uneasy sunlight, waiting and watching to see if her escaped prey would manage past the second danger. 

For a moment, they drifted idly, Hermes trying to pull the rudder about, bringing it closer to the rocks, further from what would open into Charbdyis. A bowshot from the prow of the ship, off to port, the waters began to froth white, a deep echo emanating as a dying groan from the unimaginable depths of Chardbyis's insides. Like a hand reaching out of the water, thick, lichen encrusted fingers reached up through the foam, revealing a ribbed abyss in its center. Layers of rocky sediment built up to the snaring bones of earth, stopping at their fullest point. Water sluiced outward at the expansion, then began to be sucked into the newly emptied space. 

Seastrider swelled upward, dipping and spinning as they were tossed on the waves. Hermes fought with the wildly swinging tiller, finding that it was of little use in the churning of the salt water. They spun around, pell-mell, closer into the sinkhole of the sea. 

Ami clung onto the rail beside Hermes as they were tossed upward, the end of their ship being thrown carelessly into the air. They crashed down again, heavy waves rolling over them, soaking the deck and the inhabitants._ I have to do something! I have to stop the ship! _Ami looked around her for any ideas. Another wave slapped her in the face, tugging at her fingers, hoping to wrench the free of their hold on the ship. 

They approached the rocks that jutted from the water. The teeth of Charbdyis, opening into the gaping abyssal mouth. That's it! "Hermes! Stay here! I have an idea!" 

Before he could protest, Ami released her precarious grip, allowing herself to slide down the wet deck. She caught herself against the beam of the mast as Seastrider lurched upward again, then crashed back down, slamming her into the wooden planking. Down again, the deck rebelled from the liquid hands that threw it about. She slid down to the prow, her favorite place on the ship. Bracing herself against the mutilated rail, she brought her hands up before her. _Let this work, **please....**_

Before her, the aegis flowered at her command, exploding outward. _If it can defend what is within it, then perhaps it can form a barrier as well.... _Water kicked up around her as the aegis grew in size, scraping against the deep. 

Ami was nearly thrown from her feet as the aegis' ends impacted on the stones to either side of them. Waterfalls formed between each of these teeth, ushering water and fish to the hungry belly of Charbdyis. They tipped precariously close to the precipice, the brink of the mouth, held back by the thin bubble of the shield. 

Wood screamed against stone as Seastrider turned to her side, hitting the rock Ami supported them against. There was the fatalistic sound of wood splintering, as a finger punched through the hull. Still she held the fence between them, the weight of the ship crushing Ami into her own defense. The liquid lens pushed her hands back, forcing her to fold her arms before her. _Hermes, don't you move...! _ She heard him shouting to her as the aegis scraped raw the flesh of her forearms, snapping the rail as it pressed inward. _There's too much pressure....this hurts...._

From within the beast that was Charbdyis, the sound of suction reached them, slurping up the remains of the fish and water. The stones began to move, releasing the tension as a string from a bow. Ami staggered forward as the aegis was allowed its range again. The rocky juttings cycloned to a close, leaving the waters a mess of moss, lichen, fish and wooden splinters.   
  


Her palms hit the remaining rail with a tired smack, knees giving way to a position of exhaustion. Hermes scrambled away from the helm, pulling Ami from the edge of the boat, holding her into a sitting posture. "Ames?" 

She managed a weak smile, looking up at him. The sun was bright now, and it glinted on the brown-gold waves of his hair. Then she asked, sounding somewhat foolish, "Hi?" 

He shook his head despairingly, then grinned that lopsided smile back at her. "Ames! Your hands!" His chocloatey eyes switched from relief to worry.   
It was not just her hands. Her forearms, where the aegis had pressed against, had torn at the skin, exposing raw flesh underneath. The angry redness had been striped up her inner forearms and across her palms, though leaving the fingers undamaged. Ami stared at them numbly, not feeling the pain she should, merely a tingling sensation. 

"It's not so bad," she told him. 

He grimaced. "Stay here. I'll get some...." 

"No. I'm fine. Really. I can walk. It's my arms, not my legs. See?" She tottered warily to her feet, breaking his hold on her. She stumbled a step, Hermes catching her arm as she righted herself. "We'd better get going," she glanced at the hole in the hull. It was dangerously close to the water line. If Poseidon sent another storm, they would be flooded. A faint breeze tugged at the waters weakly, barely enough to ripple them. The sea was turquoise glass. 

Hermes looked at the hole as well. "We'd better get to land, fast." 

Ami sat down heavily at the brazier, inspecting her raw arms. "Those islands you mentioned?" 

"I should have seen through that illusion. Clever, though," Hermes pummeled a fist into the rail. To his dismay, the piece cracked and fell into the water with a splash. He left the rail, heading to the supplies. He dug into the clean cloths, then dipped them into a broken piece of crockery, which had once been a water jug. Bits of supplies laced the deck now, thrown about in their fight against Scylla and their survival of Charbdyis. 

Hermes returned to Ami, who was continuing to stare at her arms. Hermes dropped the cloth as he watched in fascination with Ami. Slowly, steadily, the broken skin was knitting itself together, soft, pink flesh replacing the harsh redness. She flexed her palms as a cool sensation washed over her. _This is so strange...I've never healed like this before. I can feel...the blood. Flowing in my veins. Like water. I don't understand. How is this happening?_

"Ames?" 

She looked up at him through her lashes, her face blank to his question. 

"I thought you were mortal." 

She returned to her forearms, her fists clenching tightly, nails pressing crescents into her palms. "We have to get the ship repaired." She stood, breathing deeply in the sunlight, soaking it in, feeling strengthened as the current of water she felt within grew. 

She looked at the Medusa that she wore, seeing the silvery eyes closed again. Closing her eyes, she smiled, feeling the flow that had begun as she had called upon it. It was still flowing steadily within her. "Ithaka." 

"Ames?" 

"Ithaka. We're by Ithaka and Same, aren't we?" 

Hermes hesitated a moment, searching the empty sea around them. "Yes. How did you...?" 

"The sea told me," her eyes sparkled blue. "Come on. Let's get the sail up." 

"The wind is going in the wrong direction." 

_ Wrong direction? Not just that. It's practically dead. Let's see. What do I know about sailing with no wind? _"We'll try tacking." 

Hermes tripped over the unfamiliar word. "Tacking?" 

"A zigzag line. Sail along the wind, moving forward, then go the other direction. Like this," Ami drew a line with her finger along the deck. _First to the south, then the north. It was some extra work, but they would be moving forward, in the right direction. Without much water, and with the hole, they would need to move as swiftly as possible._ "This is how sailors moved in the ocean when the wind was dead. I don't see why it won't work here." 

"People sail in Ocean?" Hermes looked incredulous. "Without magic?" 

_Blurting again, Ami. Foreknowledge. Don't reply. _ She set herself to work, pointedly not responding to Hermes question. He didn't take long to get the hint.   
  
  
  


~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~ 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scriptoriumfanfics/ 

  
  



	6. Ithaka

Ami's Odyssey   
  
__

_I looked into your eyes and_   
_saw a world that does not exist_   
_I looked into your eyes and_   
_saw a world I wish I was in_   
_I'll never find someone_   
_quite as touched as you_   
_I'll never love someone_   
_quite the way_   
_that I_   
_loved you___

_-"Touched" by VAST_   
__   
__   
__   
__

Chapter 5- Ithaka 

  
It was very nearly midday when they limped to the shore of the island Ithaka. The noon chariot of the sun blazed brightly, baking the land and sea with its heat. The sail of Seastrider was lax, barely a breath of wind stirring it. But the soft hand that pushed the wind encouraged it further, slowly angling it with the water, lapping into the shore. 

Ithaka was a rocky island, sheer stone barefaced to the world, dropping sharply where it had been exposed, blasted apart by the gods when the world was young. Thin shrubbery patched these bare walls of rock, adding tiny flecks of greenery to the stone. The land between these towers rolled greenly, covered in flora of many kinds, olive trees and grapes stretching upward to where a palisade crowned a high hill. 

Hermes threw the anchor as they angled themselves into port. It was a small dock, with only two other boats moored there, fishing vessels with men busy with their catches on board. Gulls cried, pinwheeling above, hoping for a stray scrap of the waste. Hoarse, salt stained voices called to each other as they worked, shouting rude jokes or funny stories to pass the time. 

Ami ran a finger over the skin of her forearm. It tingled, slightly, and she closed her eyes, taking a breath as she felt the flow of the water within her. _It grew when I gained my Mercury Crystal. And now, it grows again. It is within me. I wonder what it means.___

"Ames?" 

She turned her head to see Hermes at their supplies. They had cleaned up the worst of the mess, returning the spilled goods to their respective holds. Hermes drew out one of the leaf bladed knives that Elissa had given them. "Take this," he urged. Ami accepted it, looking up and down the hilt. Hermes took up a blade of his own, sliding it into the baldric he had slung across his body. 

Ami returned the sword to the case, placing it in its cradle. "I can't use that." 

"Ames, with all that's been happening, you might need...." 

She picked up one of the knives, strapping the leather thongs to her wrist. She slid the knife out, inspecting the edge. It was sharp, almost, but not quite, to a razor's point. It gleamed silver in the sun. "I lost the last one. I don't want to loose another, or break it. I'll take this." 

Hermes did not look pleased with her decision, but shrugged, allowing Ami to do as she wished. The plank thumped against the wooden slats of the dock, and they disembarked, Hermes tying the rope around one of the dock's beams. 

"Tck. Looks like the Earth-Shaker had a bit of a fight with you two," one of the fishermen said to them as he strolled up. He wore what most of these men seemed to. A dirty, slightly fishblood stained kilt around the waist, chest bare. Worn sandals on scarred feet, muscular from hours of trawling and work. This man was razored bald, with a gap toothed grin. "No crew?" 

"No," Hermes replied to him. 

"Tck. Too bad. We didn't get word of no squall today. You far out when it came?" 

"You could say that." 

"Tck. All men lost? Too bad. You and your lady need hospice?" 

Hermes and Ami gave each other a sideways glance. The man just continued grinning at them. "Our ship," Ami told him, "is in great need of repair. Is there someone who can...?" 

"Repair? Bagh! With that hole?" the man snorted. "Tck, you'd best see the king. Ask him for help. 'S a good man. Get you what you need. If you want to wait til end of day, me 'n my men are going back up to the palace with the catch. You can come with us if you like." 

Hermes caught on to the oddity of the suggestion. "Why til the end of the day?" 

The open manner of the fisherman became tense, and he looked back and forth between the two strangers before him. He shifted his gaze up to the white beach, then to the treeline. "Been attacks, you see. Some god is mad about something. Tck. Big boar, come crashing out of the forest one day. King and his men, they been hunting it, but haven't found its den yet. Tck. Dangerous to be out alone. More people, more weapons, less likely to get roasted." 

Ami felt Hermes shift closer to her, a hand on the tip of the sword he carried. _Roasted? _"What's the fastest way to the palace?" 

"Through the woods. There's a path. Tck. I wouldn't go, though. Best wait," the man shifted nervously, but appeared to be honest in his protest. "You're welcome to wait for me and my men. If not, it's your hide," he shrugged and turned, climbing back aboard his boat. 

"Hermes, maybe we should wait...." 

"He's not telling us something." 

Ami cast a glance up to where the man had disappeared, then to the treeline he had seemed so afraid of. _Hiding something...yes. But what? And why? Fear? He said some god is mad...it seems to always be Poseidon so far. As a fisherman, a god he relies on. It may be best not to upset the god you need for your food and welfare. I can't blame him. And if it is Poseidon who has sent this thing, then we will have to face it sooner or later anyway. It would be here because of us. If any were harmed because of it...it would be our fault. Best we face it soon.We need supplies and repairs. We're well trapped here until that hole is patched.___

"Hermes, lets go. We've survived just about everything else. The sooner we meet with the king, the sooner we can get moving again." 

Hermes' chocolate eyes met her azure ones evenly, but with a slight hint of wariness. "We still haven't found that guy the Hags were babbling about."   
_ Ah, yes. The great tactician. Well, who knows? This is Ithaka of all places. Who knows what may happen here? _"I know. Maybe Fortune will smile for awhile and let us find him." 

"You're sure you want to go?" 

Ami nodded, taking Hermes' arm and leading him towards the beach.   
  


The path was small, worn by the passing of feet over many years. It disappeared into the thick foliage, obscuring the beach and their ship within a few paces. Upon rounding a hill, the pathway widened somewhat, the trees cut back to let people pass, trimmed by the people of the island. Birds were chittering in the filtered sunlight as Ami and Hermes strolled upwards towards the palace, sandaled feet slapping in time against the packed dirt. 

To pass the time on their way, Ami asked, "Do you think this king will help us?" 

"I don't see why not. Hospice is a requirement for most of these people. Who knows when you'll be in trouble? It's an affront to the gods to refuse travelers in need." 

At the sound advice, Ami let the silence lie between them. 

_ Silence. Yes...very silent.... _"Hermes?" 

It was the sound of a grumbling mingled with a croaking squeak that forced them to turn. An explosion of feathers alit around them as birds took flight from the menace that was charging out of the underbrush. _And so it begins again.... _ Hermes, with his incredible speed, scooped up a shocked Ami, darting them down the side of the pathway. "Stop!" she commanded him, looking over his shoulder. "There's someone....!" 

A man had emerged from the trees, an arrow nocked in his bow. The archer drew back the stretch of string, letting fly with a red fletched arrow. The aim was true, jabbing into the boar's shoulder. Hermes, on Ami's shout, had stopped, and she scrambled out of his grip. _So that is what the fisherman was so frightened of. That must be the biggest pig I have ever seen!_ "We have to help him!" 

"Ames!" 

He took off back down the trail after her, drawing blade as he ran. The boar squealed in such an agitating pitch, nails on a chalkboard would have seemed melodious. It was massive in size, heavy shouldered, muscular, with a crest of mud stiffened hairs bristling down its back. A heavy snout boasted of a large set of tusks. Flame red eyes flickered as it whipped its tail around, backed up warily from the archer on its ridiculously tiny hooves. 

The boar snorted, squealed and breathed heavily. Around them, the sound of hounds baying and men shouting erupted, drawing nearer, calling to each other. 

From its nostrils, twin gouts of flame sped towards the archer, the boar following close behind its attack. He screamed in pain as the flames licked his legs, catching him as he attempted to leap to one side. Catching him in the right shoulder, the tusks gored him. 

_ Fire! That is what that seaman was not telling us! It breathes fire! Rei-chan, you should be glad you don't breathe it out your nose! Oh, what am I thinking? I have to distract it somehow! Get it away from him!___

Ami drew her knife._ Let this work...please! _ She threw it, and the silvery blade cut into the hide of the boar, slicing past tendons as it wheeled, dropping the man as it paid new attention to the other figures nearby. The knife lodged itself halfway to the hilt in the ground. The boar began its charge toward the blue haired figure, squealing in odd looking fury. Again it took breath, and again twin columns of flame snorted out from its nose, a fireball that flew towards her. 

She felt Hermes grab her, spinning them around, felt them hit the ground as the sound of twanging bows met her ears. Hermes covered her head with his arm, and as the blast flew hotly over them, singing hair and clothing, she tried to pry Hermes off enough to see what had happened. From around them, men were leaping out of the forest, armed, some with bows and quivers of arrows, others with spears, nets or drawn blades. Two of these had shot arrows into the boar, one, green feathered, striking the shoulder, embedding itself a fingersbreadth from the red that had been shot moments before. The white arrow, though, had sunk itself into the soft, fleshy base of the neck, a killing shot on a smaller animal. 

Hermes hauled Ami up and out of the line of fire as the two new archers let loose another volley, two men with nets rushing in as these found new marks. The net was cast over the creature, which now staggered, so many points digging into its flesh. Blood dribbled down before it. One of the spearmen rushed in, swinging an arc, cleaving into the side of the creature, leaving a heavy slice of thick flesh to dangle, running red, exposing the pinkness of the ribcage. 

It tried to draw breath, to spit fire again, but the spear had dug too deeply, the labor of drawing breath too difficult. There was a command from the elder of the two new archers, and the spearman withdrew. Again arrows were let to fly, green and white striking as the boar screamed, lashing with tusk and hoof, in panic and fury, it hoped to take down as many as it could. The green arrow struck the base of the throat, the white, striking past the netting and thrashing to pierce the heart. 

With a single convulsion, it crashed to the ground, squealing faintly. As the men converged on the dying form of the beast, Ami took off towards their original rescuer, the gored man. 

He was in a heap on the ground, clothing tangled around him, burnt as his skin. His shoulder was in rags, both the short cape that had been tied to it and the skin that had been torn. It bled now, seeping into the earth. She tugged at the hem of her skirt, hoping to tear it. No rip would form. Material woven by the gods apparently will not tear. 

Hermes bent down on the man's opposite side, silently watching what Ami was attempting to do. She pressed the pads of her fingers against the man's neck, and, faintly, felt a flutter. _He's alive._ "You!" she snapped at the back of the man nearest her. She placed such authority in her voice that time that the man turned as bid, surprised at the sharpness in her delicate voice. "I need your cloak!" 

He hesitated only a moment, then scurried over, ripping the short cape from his shoulder. Ami tore it in half, balling up the end in her hand. She forced it down on the hole in the man's shoulder. _Pressure. To close the wound. It didn't hit anything vital...right side, not near the heart. But if it doesn't stop bleeding soon, and the burns....___

The two new archers also approached their injured member, worried. 

"Does anyone have wine on them?" 

"I do," the elder of the two archers informed her, taking the small sack from around his chest. Ami bit off the cork, then poured the wine onto the blooded cloth. She reapplied the compress, watching as the man winced in pain at the contact of the alcohol. 

"Put your cloak on him. We have to keep him warm." _Don't want him going into shock.... _"Does the palace have doct...healers?" 

"Yes," the younger replied. Setting down a bow that was almost too massive for her to imagine, he shifted the quiver on his back to a more comfortable position, the white tipped arrows clacking against each other as he did so. "Good ones." 

"Good. We have to get him to them. We need a litter of some sort." 

The older archer, turned, shouting at the men with him. "Laerces! Mastor!" two of the men broke off from the boar. The spearman swung his weapon of choice again, bringing it down with a thwack across the boar's neck, severing the two. The body jerked, spasming, then finally still. The green arrowed archer issued sharp orders. 

_ He's obviously in charge. Good. I'm not really sure what to do from here. I know about medicine in my time...I'm not as familiar with herbs. Most are available at the health food store. I wouldn't even be able to identify half of what I would need for a salve for the burns. Well. Whenever I get back, I am buying every nature book I can find.___

The leader's orders were immediately carried out as the two men he summoned rushed into the underbrush, searching for limbs long enough to serve as poles for a litter. 

"Hermes?" 

"Yes?" 

"Are you all right?" 

"Fine. You?" 

Ami touched the side of her head, where she felt a faint bump from their fall. A bit of dirt sprinkled out of her hair. "Fine." 

"Hermes?" the leader of the group asked them. Hermes looked up. As the man was standing, Hermes himself stood, finding himself to be the taller of the two. The leader was burly, broad of shoulder and narrow of hip, with large arms and hands, callused from martial training and the hunt. Dark chestnut hair rolled over his ears, cropped under his chin. A thick beard, curled, lay on a boiled leather breastplate. Fine wires of iron were beginning to curl their way out of the mass of hair, betraying the age of the man. Bright green eyes gleamed out of an intelligent face. "I can see why," the leader was saying. "You were as fast as though the hounds of Hades were on your heels getting to your wife there!" 

Ami, hearing this, flushed red, pointedly returning her eyes to the shoulder of the man in her lap. Hermes, too, turned pink, but the man was continuing, a mellow aura of friendliness radiating out from him. His even teeth were only faintly yellowed, shown much in the breadth of his smile. He slapped Hermes hard on the back, making him stagger. "I'd be just as quick if it were my wife! Course, mine's a lot older!" he laughed deeply. The boy with him looked as though he were trying to repress a smile, unsure if he should be laughing or rolling his eyes at the older man's openness. 

"Laertes!" the man introduced himself, reaching out with a hand. Hermes accepted it, clasping it above the wrist. 

"Hermes. And...Ami." 

"My son," Laertes gestured broadly. "Odysseus!" 

Had Ami been holding something in her hand, she might have dropped it. Her head snapped up to see the figures before her. _Odysseus! Oh my...! Oh, Ami! Why didn't I realize that before? Idiot! Elissa..Dido...the ages. Aeneas, who she loved, would be alive now, and he too fought at Illium. So of course Odysseus is alive! Why didn't I think of that before?___

Neither Hermes or Laertes saw Ami's reaction. Odysseus, though, ever observant, saw the shocked look on her face, quickly hidden by averting her eyes. The boy who would one day spend so many years from his home wondered at her reaction, not to his fathers' name, but to his. Curious, he came to the side of their fallen man, squatting across from Ami. 

Behind them, Laerces and Mastor were assembling what they had, strapping a cloak and a removed shirt to the branches they had gathered, tying up the impromptu stretcher. The other men had fallen to butchering the carcass of the boar. 

Odysseus stared silently at the young woman's face until she glanced up at him in discomfort. She was pretty, he decided. But something strange about her. Her hair was odd, cut far too short for a woman of Hellas, and was shaded in the colors of the water. But she hardly appeared to be an Amazon from the tales of the seafarers. A delicacy, and somehow, under it, showing as it had when she had commanded the men to do her bidding....water, he decided. Water. Gentle until angered, slow to fury, quick to act, but powerful in any state, as any true seaman knew, for the sea was the livelihood of all in Hellas. 

Ami, too, stared at the boy across from her. Some resemblance of his father lit his features. The chestnut hair, which had been braided into cornrows away from his face. The first fluff of a beard was just now emerging on his chin, which was strong. He carried himself as a king, with all the dignity of one. He, like his father, was dressed well, a short tunic of dark green, which made the darkness of his brown eyes seem all the more deep. He seemed to blend into the earth that surrounded him, his coloring and posture, silent as stone, watchful, observant. 

It was then that Laerces and Mastor came to scoop the burned man into their makeshift litter. Ami hovered, helping, warning not to jar him, for movement could injure if not careful. Laertes and Odysseus led their way up to the palace. Men stayed behind, completing the butchering of the boar. It was a strange procession that led up to the gates. The place was well fortified, overlooking the sparkling sea. 

The walls were at an escalade, steep and high, to prevent any attackers from coming into the palace. The only way up and over in an attack would be by ladder, a precarious way of breaching a wall. If the ladder were too tall, it would be pushed off by the defender. Too short, and never reach the top. These same walls were thick, made of baked brick. Semicircular bastions gave strength to the wall, and would help any defending archers in an attack. Sentries waited in the corners, alert in the noonday sun. 

The trees came almost directly up to a fencing around the fortified palace, leaving a narrower strip of space bare and rocky on the opposing side, a space for working outdoors around the front. From the side, one could see the forested curve of the island, bending out into the sea. The cliff beyond the palace dropped into the water. Out of the house, a massive puppy bounded, leaping up on Odysseus who maddeningly tried to calm the dog down. "Argos! Leave off!" the puppy, still excited, returned to all fours, and took to heel behind his master. 

Women ran inside, scattering squawking chickens and piglets before them, shouting that the king had returned with his son, and to bring help, for they carried a man injured. The gates creaked open before them, letting them into the inner courtyard of Ithaka's palace. Women and men rushed towards them, bustling with curiosity. An older man, and by the resemblance of face, his father, shouted in pain as he came to the side of the archer. "Xeones!" he cried, knowing enough not to grab, for fear of hurting him even more. 

Into the excitement of the king's return a woman walked, the crowds parting as a curtain before her, revealing her strong stature. 

Ami marveled at the way she carried herself. _Surely this is Odysseus' mother....Anticleia.___

As Odysseus had some of his father's attributes, he also had many of his mother's. She was a strong woman as her husband was a man, wide hipped and strong shouldered, with arms strengthened from work in the fields, pressing oil or making the wine that all drank. Her skin was baked deep bronze from hours in the sun, her black hair pulled into a sharp bun at the nape of her neck, two steely bars curved like horns back into it, spiraling as they melded with the blackness of her hair. Brown eyes the color of Odysseus' pierced out from her head, fine lines accentuating their ferocity. Her clothing was simple, a crimson shade, tied off at the waist with a black sash. 

Another woman scurried along beside her, somewhat younger in age, with auburn hair and sprightly blue eyes. She, too, was dressed simply, in an olive green dress, wrapped with a yellow belt. 

They stopped before Laertes and Odysseus, Anticleia's hawklike gaze swifting over the stretcher. "Polyxena! Arete!" she called. "Come more quickly!" Anticleia strode over to the litter, brushing the man who still hovered over it. "Xeones, your son will be tended to. Go now. Pray to the gods for his healing." 

Xeones, father of Xeones, hesitated only a moment before hurriedly running towards the storerooms. Gods would want a gift for the healing of his son.   
Two women then came, one old and bent, mincing her steps as she came, ushered and assisted by a younger woman. The elder bent over the prone body, making a low sound in her throat. Then, in a bitter voice, she wasped, "To his rooms. Needs much," then, aided still by the younger woman, tottered her way after the litter, disappearing into the inner recesses of the palace. 

The woman who had appeared with Anticleia was now hovering timidly around Odysseus. He was fending her off, muttering, "I'm fine Eurycleia." 

_ Eurycleia. Odysseus' nurse who will recognize him in the 'Odyssey', despite the disguise on him, placed by Athena. She will live to be an honorable age.___

Anticleia had now returned her imperious gaze to her husband and those who accompanied him. "Is it done?" 

"The boar is dead," replied her husband, solemn. "Xeones worked ahead, cut it off. Artemis Huntress would be proud of his action." 

Anticleia nodded once, sharply. "And our son?" 

"A brave battle. Odysseus wields his grandfather's bow well." 

Another sharp nod was earned. "And these?" she referred to Hermes and Ami, who were standing beside each other, a pace behind Laertes. 

"Helped us to trap the beast!" Laertes seemed to regain his good humor, stepping forward and wrapping a proud arm around the waist of his wife. "My wife, Anticleia," he introduced. "Hermes, and his wife, Ami!" 

Anticleia's frown grew deeper and she lifted an eyebrow high onto her forehead. "Are you married?" she queried. 

Ami flushed again, and Hermes shifted uncomfortably. "Um, not exactly," he managed. The crowd around them shifted, staring. Ami felt herself getting redder. _No one ever thought I was married to someone else before. This feels very weird.___

Hermes stumbled a moment in thinking, then, clever as always, spurted, "We're on our way to Hera's temple!" 

"Oh?" came the reply. 

Hermes imitated Laertes' position with Anticleia with Ami. She was still bright red with embarrassment. _There's got to be a reason for this...he wouldn't just for fun, would he? Oh...maybe he would. But...I don't think that's the case here. A man and a woman, sailing alone, on a ship. Surely that is something strange. Something suspect. And if they think we actually are married...um, then they might put us in the same room...and I am not sharing a bed with Hermes! Usagi-chan would just die if she knew about this...! I don't even want to **know** what Mom would think!___

In a great deal of nervousness, Ami played along. She stiffly angled herself closer under Hermes arm, pressing her hand to her mouth for a moment in her shyness. _How do Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san stand like this again? Oh yes..._ She took Hermes' hand in hers and attempted to smile as though she were happy. _This is really weird. Minako would be having a fit. Me, pretending to be engaged. They are NOT going to be hearing about this part of the story, that's for sure. I'd never live it down!___

Anticleia watched them shrewdly, her hawkeyes looking out over a long nose. After a moment, she let her head jerk again. Ami suspected it was a trait of hers, repeated as she came to a thought or decision. The chin lifted proudly into the air. "You look tired. You will be given rooms. Separate, if you desire?"   
Ami shifted and mumbled, "Ummm...." 

Hermes shifted and mumbled, "Ummm...." 

Anticleia let out a small chuckle. "Eurycleia, show them the guest quarters. They must be exhausted. You may tell us your tale later tonight, after you feel better." 

Laertes apparently liked the sound of that, since his eyes suddenly lit with an idea. "Yes! Tonight! A feast! To welcome our guests and celebrate the death of the boar that stalked us!"   


Eurycleia led them into the hallways of the palace, wringing her hands about Odysseus' well being. "A good boy, my Odysseus. Nursed him, I did! Good boy, none better! Will be a great man, I tell you! Clever like none other! Killed a gods sent boar with his father-!" Eurycleia prattled on as they passed rooms. 

Wide eyed, Ami watched the doorways pass. Several women and a couple of men were hovering around an oil press. A woman was pressing olives with all her strength against a lever. On the opposite side, a woman cupped a bowl under a spout, catching the syrupy golden liquid that was the lifeblood of Ithaka. Out the windows they passed, sloping past the forest, Ami saw the cleared land, charted by plants, rows of olive trees and grape vines. Within, stylized frescoes had been painted on the walls, friezes of gods in their actions. Hera cast a furious look at Zeus, standing opposite her, a heifer beside him, the image of the story of Zeus and Io. 

_ The same expression as Mako-chan when she's mad....___

Artemis drew a bow across her chest, aiming for a stag. 

_Like Rei when she uses her Sniper....___

Aphrodite sat on a golden cloud, laughing at the earth that was painted below her. 

_Minako, while chasing down some boy she thinks is cute....___

Then the image of the moon, a lady smiling down from it. And where the paint had begun to chip, Ami saw, faintly, the shape of those familiar buns. She smiled. _Someone who painted that has seen Selene. Queen Serenity. My, she looks like Usagi-chan. Or rather, Usagi looks like her. Unborn as yet. Ah, if I could warn them. Tell them of Beryl and what was to come. The Generals would be alive even now, unchanged and young. Endymion would be a toddler, then. Imagine Mamoru-san in diapers!___

Ami giggled softly once, and Hermes turned to see her engrossed in the paintings on the wall. Eurycleia was still babbling to herself about Odysseus, but the nurse was walking slowly. He watched Ami, knowing that she was from the future. That perhaps she knew, or would know, these people on the walls now. He wondered if he would meet her again, in her own time. 

Then he watched a quiet sadness spread across her delicate features, crystallizing. She turned sharply from the images, and for a moment, he would have thought he saw tears in her eyes. 

He had never seen Ami cry. 

Not against Scylla. 

Not against the boar earlier today. 

Not when the aegis had scraped her arms raw and red. 

Not even when she had called him a baka...whatever that was in her native language...and had run from him. 

What, then, could be so depressing to her that would cause such an expression? 

Ami hesitated as they came to a crux in the doorways. Eurycleia headed them to the left, but Ami, still exploring somewhat, had glanced down to the right. Her eyebrows puckered in confusion as she saw a familiar face hanging over the archway. There, carved in wood, was the face of the Medusa, snaky coils of her hair spreading upward as her eyes, blank of pupils, stared out the window across from her protectorate. 

_ And where does that doorway lead? Medusa.... _With a finger, she traced the lines of the brooch on her shirt. Something about the carved symbol called to her. _Doorways. Strange things. Some lead to closets. Others to bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms. Then there are those that lead to the unknown. The halls of time. The keys. Once I get my Crystal back, I will have to get to Pluto. But for now....___

Eurycleia was halfway down the hall, still talking obliviously to herself. Hermes had stood beside her as she stared at her surroundings. Ami felt a tinge of redness color her cheeks again, and fought it back before Hermes could see. _I have to stop getting embarrassed like this. Anticleia is sharp. I don't know what she'd do if she knew that our story is a fake. She probably already knows. But my screwing things up won't help matters.___

Ami straightened her shoulders lifted her head high, holding it as Anticleia had earlier. With that set look on her face, Ami stretched her legs and caught up with the nurse, who had turned down another corner. She didn't see Hermes smiling wryly behind her.   


A few moments after arriving in her room, a young girl appeared, laden with a pail of milk, which, Ami discovered on drinking, was goat milk. It was slightly sour in flavor, but rich, and Ami found that she had become ravenous. There was a loaf of crusty bread and cheese, also of goat milk, that she devoured like Usagi after not eating for more than two hours. Olives disappeared, and she spat the seeds out on the plate. Hunger abated, she collapsed into bed, sandals and all, sleeping even as her head reached the pillow. Her last waking thought was, _I wonder if this is how Usagi-chan feels all the time, sleeping every.…_   
__

When she awoke, the light that puddled on the floor of her room was that of the stars and torches. She arched her back, stretching. Beside her, on a chair, a short sleeved, long skirted maroon dress had been laid, a ribbon of indigo pooling atop it, meant to be tied about the waist, crisscrossing. A small pair of supple leather boots were limply lying at the foot of her bed. _For me? Eurycleia, or Anticleia, most likely. Oh! I can see why!___

In their previous hurry to the palace, and then their fight, Ami found that her clothing was soiled, quite literally. Dirt was smudged across the front of her skirt, grass stains working their way in. As she brushed her fingers across the fabric, she felt salt from the sea sticking to it. _Sturdy stuff. But still gets stains. I wonder if they'll come out easily. Athena said she made the dress...I wonder who made the fabric? If a goddess wove it, then it should at least clean easily. Well, for now, the dress.___

Ami twisted the armlet of Ouroboros around her arm. It was warmed by the contact with her skin. Discarding her worn white outfit for the maroon one, she changed, also switching her sandals for the boots. _Oh, how funny! They're cut the same way, for either foot! Like in medieval times. So that if one shoe ran out, you would only have to replace one.___

She removed the Medusa brooch from its place on her dress, refastening it to the new outfit, in the same spot, finding herself used to it there, and uncomfortable without it. 

She approached the dresser. Several items lay before her. Her knife, which she had thrown at the boar. _One of the men must have brought this back. Well, at least this one returned. No such luck for the sword.___

A small bronze mirror, polished, had been leaned up against the wall. A bowl of water awaited her, and she splashed some water onto her face, using the comb that was laid beside the bowl. Two combs, the edges lined with white seashell, were set there, and she pulled them through her hair, the shells looking like drifting sealife on the tide, rolling with the foamy breakers. Ami smiled into the tiny mirror, setting it down she replaced the knife into its sheath, strapping it this time to her ankle, so it would not be visible._ Nothing like taking weapons to a party. Or a feast, I suppose.___

Folding the dress Athena gave her neatly, she placed it on the chair, her sandals underneath. _If they can appear in my room while I sleep, then I suppose they can come in when I'm not here as well.___

Heading out, Ami shut the door behind her. The room across the hall, Hermes' was empty, the door ajar. Already gone.   


  
It wasn't difficult to find everyone. 

The sounds of revelry echoed through the halls, laughter and song, drums and flute, a lyre being played by a man in a corner before a group of young men and women. The courtyard had been arrayed for the feast, a small bonfire lit. The scent of roast lamb, herbed, wafted mouthwateringly in the air. Calamari was being fried in a vat, battered in oil. Fish and roast mingled. Torches lit the courtyard and Ami wandered among the people, noticing the moonless night. _Almost a month. The moon was full. Mom must be frantic.___

"Ami!" a cheery voice called. Ami turned to see Laertes heading her way, a large man beside him. They slowed and Ami smiled in return to their greetings. "Ah, awake I see. Hermes said that you were resting too well to awaken earlier. Good to see you up. This," Laertes introduced, slapping the man on the back, "is Mentor, an old friend of my family." Mentor winced at the force of the blow, his eyes twinkling with merriment, as though with a secret that he did not wish to reveal. 

_ Mentor._ Ami looked at the man carefully. He was dressed in a baggy outfit over his bulky body, dull grey and drab. A bushy grey beard tinged with frost covered his face, only allowing for a narrow strip across his eyes to be seen. It was his eyes Ami looked at most carefully. They were encased in pockets of thick flesh, heavily lidded. But the color was that of moonlit steel, glinting in the torchlight. 

"Mentor," Ami greeted, beginning to bow, but then remembered the way Laertes had greeted Hermes earlier. "Ahem," she cleared her throat to cover her mistake, and reached out. Mentor clasped her forearm with an iron grip. 

"Your betrothed is enjoying the telling of your tale. He's very animated about it," Mentor chuckled wryly, gesturing to Hermes, who was standing in a torchlit corner, waving his hands wildly with some story. His listeners were rapt. He too, had been given a change of clothing, in a reddish hue, a tunic with boots. "Tell me, Ami, how was it that you defeated the hecatoncheries?" 

_ Hermes! What ARE you telling these people? _"I am afraid I am not so good at telling stories, Mentor. You would be hard pressed to have me tell you what happened." 

"And why is that?" 

"Stories change with perspective." 

"And what did you see?" 

"Nothing that I may say." 

"Nothing? No word to pass down through the generations, so your name would be remembered?" 

"What I do in this time here in Hellas is not a thing that must be retold." 

"Ah, but then how will your legend live on?" 

"Who says I want my legend to live on?" 

"No one to remember you? No one to write your tales? Tell your story?" 

"What use is a story if it teaches nothing?" 

At these last words, Mentor let loose such a laugh that it boomed across the courtyard, startling several people from their own conversations. Hermes looked up, spotted the source of the sound and began to work his way over, abandoning his crowd. 

At the sharp series of exchanges between Ami and Mentor, Laertes had found himself treading water, unsure of what the discussion was truly about. "Heroes are remembered by their deeds, and the stories written about them," he attempted, trying to get into this strange debate. 

"True," Mentor allowed, "and what do they do but teach us about who we are? What our beliefs are? Our values? Is that not learning?" 

Ami bowed her head, acknowledging Mentor's point, but did not break her gaze. Hermes now joined them. "Ames," he cast an interesting glance at Mentor, who lifted his shaggy brows in questioning. "Laertes, Mentor." 

"Hermes." 

The exchange was cool, but had a current of suppressed laughter with it, a kind of amusement. Hermes shook his head despairingly. Laertes took this opportunity to say, "Ami, I spoke to Hermes earlier. Xeones, the father of the archer who you helped today, is my head shipwright. He will be repairing your ship for you. The damage is bad, but believes it is within his abilities to repair. It will take a few days." 

"How many?" 

Laertes' beard shook back and forth as the king turned his head. "Not sure. The hole is bad, and needs to be caulked." 

"I understand." _I hope its not too long. We can't stay here. We've never been stuck anywhere for more than a day or two. Even with Elissa._   
Ami felt her stomach growl softly, demanding food. "If you'll excuse me. I'm going to get some of that roast," with a polite smile, she left the men, Hermes trailing after her a second later. Tightly, Ami asked him as he reached her arm, "What are you telling these people? The hecatoncheries?" 

"The...? Mentor told you that." 

"Yes." 

Hermes gave her the boyish, lopsided smile. "Don't worry about Mentor. He's just baiting you." 

"I know about Mentor." 

Hermes gave her a calculating look, appeared to be ready to ask her a question, then thought the better of it, and said nothing. "Well, I'll say this for Ithaka. They make a great roast lamb," he gestured at the spit, a whole rack of lamb spinning lazily over the open fire. "Wine?" 

"I suppose. Is that all you drink here?" 

"Pretty much," he poured her a bowl of the red liquid. "Unless you want milk like the kids." 

Ami took the bowl, wandering towards the harper in the corner. The lyre sang softly into the night as the man strummed it. Sipping from the painted bowl, she listened to the song. 

"He sings like Orpheus," she murmured in an aside to Hermes. 

He grinned and smiled. "That's who he's named for." 

"Oh," she tilted her head, birdlike, half closing her eyes as she listened to the melody. Without stopping the sound, a rich voice asked,   
"You wouldn't happen to play, lady?" 

Opening her eyes, she discovered it was the harper who spoke. _Orpheus.___

"Gomen...ah, I'm sorry, but...." 

Pearly white teeth gleamed out at her from his olive skin. "Never play a harp?" 

_ Well, technically speaking....but I'm not sure if the Mercury Harp counts...___

Orpheus chuckled at the expression on her face. "Shyness will not help you now!" he looked at Hermes for help. "Tell her she should try," he urged.   
Hermes, who thought this would be an interesting experiment, mumbled to her, "Give it a try. The worst that could happen is that you break the lyre. Well, I guess the Muses could get really mad and go on a creative rampage, but they're usually pretty docile." 

Ami gave him a dirty look combined with a grimace. Now the listeners to the harper were whispering amongst themselves, some encouraging Ami to try. "Go on," Hermes gave her a push, taking the half-drunk bowl of wine from her fingers. Ami stumbled into the circle. 

"Um...I've never played a lyre...." 

"It is similar to a harp. Just try." 

The instrument was pushed gently into Ami's hands. Orpheus stepped aside, standing in the shadows. Ami clutched at the wooden frame. _I don't know what to do!___

She stumbled awkwardly to the seat Orpheus had just vacated, arranging her skirts around her nervously. _What am I supposed to sing? I don't know any of their songs. And most of the stuff I know isn't exactly something you sing with a lyre, of all things. Can I even do this?___

Some of the observers had a request. "Something from your land! Something new!" 

She ran her hands across the strings, hearing them chime against the touch of her hand. _Maybe...I can try. And the worst is that I make a complete baka of myself.___

Hands strumming against the strings, Ami began to pluck out a timid melody, letting it swell up under her command as she summoned it. It's that flowing sound again.… As the sounds began to vibrate across the air, her touch grew more certain, as the tide of water within her grew. 

_"When the dark wood fell before me_   
_ and all the paths were overgrown_   
_ When the priests of pride say there is no other way_   
_ I tilled the sorrows of stone."_   


She was uncertain where she had learned this song. Perhaps she had heard it on the radio once, or had it buried on some CD she had not listened to in years. But as the water welled up within her, the sounds and song fell to her tongue as though she had rehearsed it since she was born.   
  
_ "I did not believe because I could not see_   
_ Though you came to me in the night_   
_ When the dawn seemed forever lost_   
_ You showed me your love in the light of the stars."___

Her delicate, glassy voice was that of a polished lake, a flowing series of words and sounds that drifted quietly though the laughter of the people in the courtyard. A sad song, sung sadly, casting a spell on its listeners as the words fell from this traveler's lips. 

_"Then the mountain rose before me._   
_ By the deep well of desire_   
_ From the fountain of forgiveness_   
_ Beyond the ice and the fire."_   
  
Fire and ice, so separate, so balanced. Her own quiet and steadiness opposite that of her fiery friend. It seemed to her, that sometimes, she was the only one who was shy of them. Setsuna, perhaps, but that was more withdrawn that quiet. Hotaru, perhaps, but that was for the sadness of the burden she carried. So similar to Setsuna's it seemed sometimes.__

_ "Though we share this humble path, alone_   
_ How fragile is the heart_   
_ Oh give these clay feet wings to fly_   
_ To touch the face of the stars."___

Certainly they shared a path. All of them. Circles of time and space, wheeling around each other. What once was would come again. What was soon to happen would happen. And another chance would be given to those who would die. But she wondered how lonely that path could be. There were others with her. Yet despite this, did she not always keep to herself? 

_ "Breathe life into this feeble heart_   
_ Lift this mortal veil of fear_   
_ Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears_   
_ We'll rise above these earthly cares."___

So much pain. So much loss. All to come. To change it? No, for that would take any hope for the future. The dreams that settled now in the darkness of the moon that lay hidden by the earth's shadow above them. The fears that would be realized. The end. And the beginning. 

_"Cast your eyes on the ocean_   
_ Cast your soul to the sea_   
_ When the dark night seems endless_   
_ Please remember me_   
_ Please remember me_   
_ Please remember me...."_

_ And yet, do not. For if any of you do, then how will history be altered? But do listen to my words. Take them at warning. Hold to hope. We may suffer, but those times are balanced with good, are they not? In darker night, brighter stars. In greater fear, greater courage. In greater hate, greater love. The dark moon always gives birth to a full moon. The tides always sweep back out to sea. The waters always calm. And so we survive...._   
__

Her hands stilled on the strings, fading them into silence. 

"Excuse me...." she stumbled up and away from the circle, passing the lyre to Orpheus, who was wide eyed with watchfulness. "Excuse...." Ami stepped around the watchers, lifting the hem of her skirt to avoid tripping. 

"Ames?" 

She brushed past Hermes, leaving him and the listeners to look after her, disappearing into the shadows. 

Into the hallways of the palace she stumbled, pressing a hand against the baked mud wall, feeling the roughness of the plaster against her fingertips, felt the flaws in the smoothness catch against her nails. Sconces lit tiny sunsets onto the walls, shadows rippling around her as she passed. She wandered down the hallway that she believed led to her room. The images of the gods and goddesses lined the hallway, Selene still smiling from her place on the Moon, Artemis ever frozen mid-strike. At the crux of doorways, Ami looked down the passage that led to her room. Then she turned the other way, walking softly towards the archway, graced by the blank stare of the Medusa. 

_ And I took the road less traveled by....___

She leaned around the corner of the archway, looking past the starlit square on the floor, let in by the opposing window. Peering, she stepped within, her footsteps padded in the silence. Before her stood a carved oaken statue of a woman. Her hands were out, palm up, lips turned in a half smile, eyes focused evenly on the space before her. A dully embered brazier glowed before the figure, slender reed punks floating out of one side. Candles, thick still, though half melted, lined the space before the carved image of the goddess. The powerful scent of sulfur sliced on the edge of her senses. 

Hand still resting around the Medusa, Ami stepped closer to the brazier, touching absently the brooch's snaky locks. As she recognized a similar adornment on the breastplate of the statue, her grip tightened around it. _It is Athena. I suppose that makes sense. Athena protected Odysseus so much. It may be fitting that there is a shrine to her here.___

Lazuli eyes met the faded embers of the bronze brazier, flames reflected in the ocean's colors. 

"Do you pray to her, traveler?" 

Ami's eyes flicked from the coals to the carved, bemused face of the grey-eyed goddess. "Did you follow me, Anticleia?" 

The older woman moved into the room, carrying a candle in one hand, a tray of bread and wine in the other. "I came to leave an offering to her," setting the tray down at beside the brazier, Anticleia stood beside Ami, two sets of eyes focused on the figure before them. Anticleia tightened her red shawl around her shoulders. "You are not betrothed to that man you are with." 

It was a statement, not a question, and Ami heard it. _So she does know. I suppose it was only a matter of time. _"No," she replied to Anticleia. "How am I supposed to explain?" 

"Don't." 

At that, Ami looked at the woman beside her, meeting the gaze that was already settled on her. Anticleia's lips were quirked ever so slightly upward, traces of amusement apparent on her face. Anticleia lifted a finger to her lips, letting the smile broaden. The candle she still held in her hand carved shadows into the curves of her face, highlighting the smile. Ami blushed again. _I have no idea what she is thinking. But I know that she will not say a word of it to anyone. _"Thank you." 

The sharp nod came from Anticleia, who refocused her gaze on the goddess. "Answer me this, Ami. You wear her symbol. What do you know of the Athena?" 

"Goddess of wisdom. And warfare. Handicrafts." 

"That is all?" 

With a feeling that she was somehow disappointing Anticleia, she let her head hang, looking at the polished floor of the room. A hand tightened around her chin, forcing up her head to meet the fierce hawkish gaze. "You were never taught? Never told?" 

_ Is there something I should have been...? _Ami's blank expression was enough to give Anticleia her answer. 

"Ay, Ami. The Medusa. She is the Athena." 

Confused, Ami shook her head, breaking away from Anticleia's gaze. "The same? How can they be the same? Perseus cut off Medusa's...." 

"And gave it to Athena, as the story goes, does it not?" 

"Yes." 

"Stories are important, Ami. They tell us who we are. Define us as a people, a culture, a way of life. But new legends are layered on older ones, as in the case of Perseus. Who wrote his tale? Men...or women? The snake haired face has long represented a warning. The warning that it is the secrets of women's wisdom. 

"Do you know of her origin? Where the Ath-enna came from?" At Ami's continued silence, Anticleia set down her candle, then turned to the brazier, blowing on it gently, breathing it back to life. Flames swelled up between the coals, and Anticleia lifted a punk from its resting place, the tip burning brightly. She began to light the candles, steeping the smell of sulfur in the room. "The smell. It is Athena's, the smell of purification," Anticleia breathed it in deeply for a moment, then pulled away, saying, "Her birthplace is Libya. She is the daughter of Metis, and forms a triple goddess with her. Ath-enna, Metis and the Medusa. Athena's name means that she is born from herself, three goddesses, aspects of one. Three cut facets to the same jewel. It is a common enough triad among the mythos. The Gorgon is the Destroyer aspect of their being. Their power is one in the same. That is why Ath-enna wears the aegis. It is a symbol of herself. 

"Some say that Ath-enna sprung from the head of Zeus. Some care to interpret that as men giving birth to knowledge. But others..." at this, Anticleia took on a crafty smile, lifting a finger to linger at her lips. "...believe that she is the feminine wisdom within man. It is a personal choice to believe." 

_ One in the same...how can that be? A symbol of herself?___

Anticleia was now taking up her candle again, the flame licking at the air. "Think on my words, traveler. You may need them, I believe." Anticleia pulled the shawl from around her shoulders around her head, draping it. She turned a corner of the red fabric over her mouth, disguising her smile. Then in a flicker of candlecast shadow, she ghosted from the room. 

Ami spun to look again at the carved oak figure before her. _If that is true, then why did Athena allow Medusa to be beheaded by Perseus? Did it even happen, then? Gods. I'm beginning to wonder about their reasoning skills. Even one so well known for intelligence as Athena. Then again, I'm not her. She's helped me so far. Maybe there is more to it than even Anticleia knows.___

She lifted a punk herself, and wrinkled her nose at the pungent odor the candle released as she lit it, faint whorls of smoke cresting up to the ceiling. "Athena? Can you hear me?" 

"Speaking to a goddess now?" A heavyset figure lumbered into the archway, steely eyes glinting in the firelight. "Gods don't often respond, girl."   
"Hello, Mentor. I was waiting for you, Athena." 

Mentor's flesh pocketed eyes twinkled mischievously. "Athena? You've been drinking Laertes' honey wine! Do I look like a goddess?" 

"Your eyes, Mentor. And tales of when I am from." 

Mentor let out a loose chuckle, low and deep, that lightened as he stepped into the room, the years and age shedding from him like water, revealing the white robed Athena. She smiled faintly, the moonlit eyes gleaming in the candlelight. She stared at the statue of herself, an eyebrow arching gracefully. "A reasonable likeness in stance, if not physical characteristic," she appraised dryly. She breathed in the sulfuric air. "Strong, is it not?" 

"Very. Is what Anticleia told me true?" 

"About my Mother and Medusa?" 

"Your Mother and Medusa. The way you say it...it is true, isn't it?" 

Athena Hope of Soldiers let a faint smile form on her lips, playing across her high cheekbones and uplifted chin. "Belief is an odd thing, Ami. What one believes, another may not. Does it make the other wrong, if two beliefs, tightly held, oppose one another?" 

"It can." 

"Under certain circumstances, I suppose. But generally?" 

"Why are you here, Athena? Watching Odysseus? Or Hermes and I?" 

A puzzled frown met Ami's questioning look. "Odysseus? A clever boy, surely. But why would I pay especial attention to him?" 

_ Maybe that was a bit too much to say. But, if she wasn't...she certainly will.... _"As you say, he is very clever. You may find that you like him." 

"Truly? Odysseus? His mother has certainly been loyal enough to me. Perhaps I will watch him more closely. As to you and Hermes, it appears that you are getting along better than I expected." 

Ami fought another flush. _If this about the betrothed thing....___

Reading her expression, Athena let a soft chuckle escape her. "Ah, Ami. I'm not here to tease you. Hermes knows my disguises. He's quite good at them himself. But I did want to say that you should speak to Odysseus. He is, as I said a moment ago, a clever boy. When he turns that intelligence to the military arts, as all boys must, who knows where it may lead him?" 

"Military....?" 

The grey-eyed goddess stepped away from Ami, turning, still smiling faintly. A string of stars pulled down her body, each a tiny nova of silver light. She turned her moonlit steel eyes to the window, and her body grew smaller. As the crystalline light brightened, Ami drew a hand to her eyes to block some of the brightness. When she looked again, a snowy owl flapped her wings once, as in experiment, then glided with the silent stealth of all raptor birds out into the star strewn night. 

'_'The one who will be the clever tactician will point the way.'___

_'Find him, and find the path to Poseidon.....'___

_ The Graeae said the one who will be the the 'clever tactician' will point the way. Athena.... Odysseus....a clever boy. She speaks of Odysseus. The war at Illium. The Trojan horse. Clever, subversive. A battle tactic that will be renowned for centuries. Odysseus. It is Odysseus!___

"Odysseus," she breathed once before turning to run from Athena's shrine. _Were I him, where would I go during a feast such as this?___

Through the labyrinth of hallways she flew, her skirts rippling around her as she sped across the tiles. Outside she went, slowing herself to a walk. The ringing sound of voices in song reached her from beyond the wall of Ithaka, the laughter and the strumming of Orpheus' lyre. From the shadows of the shrubbery, she heard a woman's laugh, accompanied by a man's as she stumbled out from the bushes, being chased. A sentry shouted down at them to quiet themselves, to which they paid no attention, running and laughing all the louder for their reprimand. 

Ami's eyes crinkled as she watched their silhouettes meld into the treeline. Brought back to her current problems by a buffet of wind, she turned to the wall, moving along it, a dusky specter in the reddish light cast from above. 

She found him where she had half expected, alone, away from the sounds of the feast within. He had settled himself on a boulder, a small fire crackling steadily before him as he scratched the ears of Argos, his hound, whose head was resting in his master's lap. 

"May I join you for a moment?" 

If Odysseus was surprised, he did not start at her voice, but lazily turned his head to her, shrugged, and gestured at the stone beside him. "He won't be jealous?" 

"Hermes?" Ami laughed as she folded herself into a sitting position, leaning back. "He's not my keeper." 

Odysseus's eyebrows lifted, then melted into a grin. "Hungry?" Without waiting for her reply, he picked up a slice of roast lamb, pushing the plate at her. She accepted it gratefully, picking it up with her fingers, since there was no silverware._ I was going to get food...then I got...distracted...by singing. Ah, this is delicious.___

Ami looked out across where they sat. The palace was settled atop a cliff wall, set several lengths back. They sat close to the protective hulk of the building, the expanse of ground not so long before dropping into the midnight expanse of the Ionian. It was rocky, but wild grasses cropped out of the cracks.   
"You came to see me?" 

Ami swallowed, wiping her lips with her fingers delicately. "I wanted to meet you." 

"We already met," Odysseus replied, the kindness that had been in his voice when offering the food gone. 

_ He thinks I want something. Well, I suppose, in a sense, I do. Information. But he may not even know it specifically. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be asking. Any of the others would be better at flirting with a guy. Okay, he IS a year or so younger than me, but still. Then again, who says I need to flirt? I'm Ami, not Minako! Hm. Let's see. I, Mizuno Ami, matching wits with Odysseus of Ithaka. As with Elissa, chess.___

Odysseus was waiting for her to continue. "I know. But I wanted to thank you. For saving Hermes and I. You're a wonderful shot with that bow." 

"It was my grandfather's. Autolycus. No one but I may string it." 

"Take care of that bow. It will be needed." 

"Oh? When?" 

Ami gave him a delicate smile. "When you return home." 

"I am home." 

Ami laughed lightly, setting down the plate. "Ithaka will always be your home. Remember that." 

Odysseus was giving Ami an appraising look. _He thinks I'm some sort of oracle now. Well, I suppose I am, telling his future, obscure as it sounds.___

Odysseus was running in his mind, attempting to understand what Ami had told him. What she had suggested to him. "Why would I leave home? A war?" 

"A great war." 

"Will it be glorious?" 

_ Is any war glorious? _ "As glorious as any war," she said instead. 

Seemingly satisfied with this answer, Odysseus nodded much in the way of his mother. He looked to the sea. "I've always wanted to sail. Not just around here. Far away. To the Hellespont, maybe. Then come back, bringing gold and glory for Ithaka." 

_ Maybe if I phrase this right.... _ "Poseidon's realm is a dangerous one. How do you know you will return?" 

"Poseidon doesn't scare me," Odysseus told her stiffly, leaning back against his boulder, folding his arms behind his head. "No god scares me." 

_ Heroic boast. That is going to cause you trouble, later. _"I'm glad to hear it. Poseidon makes the water roads difficult for travelers. He's always busy stirring up some storm. Never takes a rest." 

"Never!" Odysseus scoffed, snorting dismissively. "Stirring up storms is such hard work," Odysseus seemed to reconsider his words after a moment, thinking. "But Poseidon is powerful. God of the seas. All Hellenes rely on him for safe passage. Anger him, and your ship sinks. But when he's happy....he drives his chariot across the waters, making them still and smooth behind him. A good strong wind for sailors, sending them on their way." Odysseus shrugged, sitting up again, disturbing Argos, who whined, getting a good scratching for it. 

"Where does Poseidon go when he's in one of those good moods? Just out for a drive?" 

Odysseus gave Argos a pat on the neck, then released him, popping an olive into his mouth. "He's a god. He can go anywhere. But...father once told me that his favorite city is Aegae. That the people pay him tribute there." 

_ Aegae. That's an...Achaean city, if I remember correctly. In the Peloponnese. Then....___

"That's not so far from here." 

"No. Past Myrsinus, through the strait to the east." 

Ami sat up, leaning towards Odysseus. "Do you follow Poseidon? Is he your god?" 

Surprised at her sudden vehemenence, Odysseus was taken aback, but recovered quickly, saying, "Not specifically, but all Hellenes respect...."   
Ami cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Odysseus. You said your mother follows Athena, didn't she?" 

"Well, yes...." 

"Listen to her," with that, Ami stood, shaking bits of grass from her skirt. "Poseidon is easy to anger." 

"And Athena isn't?" Odysseus sounded bemused now at the stranger's advice. 

"Athena will give you what you want. Glory and fame for Ithaka," and with that, she turned and left, disappearing into the shades of darkness and firelight on the wall.   
  
  



	7. Kracken

Ami's Odyssey 

  


_Below the thunders of the upper deep;_   
_Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,_   
_His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep_   
_The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee_   
_About his shadowy sides: above him swell_   
_Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;_   
_And far away into the sickly light,_   
_From many a wondrous grot and secret cell_   
_Unnumbered and enormous polypi_   
_Winnow with giant fins the slumbering green._   
_There hath he lain for ages and will lie_   
_Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,_   
_Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;_   
_Then once by men and angels to be seen,_   
_In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die._   
_-"The Kraken"_   
_By: Alfred, Lord Tennyson_

  
  
  
  


Chapter 6 - Kracken   


"Usagi-chan, you won't believe who he looked like!" 

"Who? Who?!" 

"The guy from that American band, N'Sync!" 

"No way! Which one?" 

"Justin!" 

"No way!" 

"Yes way!" 

Usagi was practically jumping up and down, clutching Minako's arm as they walked down the street. Usagi, Minako, Makoto and Rei had met after school, planning to go to Ami's apartment to see her. Makoto had arranged the meeting the night before, since she had decided to make soup to take the missing member of their group. She had called Ami's apartment, and had received no answer. 

Now the four remaining senshi were headed to see their sick friend, Makoto carrying a thermos of her lemon rice soup. The street was busy, traffic backed up farther than the girls could see, and most of the cars were honking noisily, heat waves radiating from taxed engines. Some construction workers were drilling in a side street, adding to the racket of the day. 

Minako was regaling Usagi with the tale of her amazing adventures following cute guys the day before, following the attack of the winged snakes.   
"...then I followed him to...you'll never guess where!" 

"Minako-chan! Tell me!" 

"The arcade!" 

"No way!" 

"Yes way!" 

"He played the Sailor V game!" 

"No way!" 

"He was really good, too! Then he left and went to get some ice cream at the fruit parlor. I kept following him...watching him from behind, you know? He was so dreamy...." 

Rei, who had decided she had more than enough of this, especially since it had been going on for the last three blocks, interrupted Minako's dialogue. "Minako-chan, does the word, 'stalker' have any meaning to you?" 

Usagi and Minako looked behind them to where Rei and Makoto were standing, Rei with her hands on her hips, glaring, Makoto shaking her head and looking generally despairing. 

Minako make a small choking sound. 

"Seeing a hot guy is one thing, but stalking him all over Tokyo is crazy, Minako-chan! What is it with you two doing stuff like that anyway?"   
Usagi began to wail as Rei folded her arms, still glaring. "Rei-chan, you're so-" 

"Mean. Yeah. Mean. I know. I am the most horribly mean person in the world because I tell you not to make a complete baka of yourself anywhere we go!" 

"Oooh, Rei-chan!" Usagi stuck her tongue out at the other girl. 

"You look so stupid when you do that, Usagi! Put your tongue back in your face! Or you'll look more like a snake than a rabbit, odango atama!"   
"Odango atama! You know I hate that! My hair does not resemble food at all!" 

"Wanna bet, you dough brained-" 

"That is enough!" Makoto roared into the ensuing shouting match. She swung the thermos around, leaping between the two other senshi. 

"Mako-chan's right you guys," Minako chimed in, pulling Usagi away from Rei, who was struggling in Makoto's firm grip. 

"Ami-chan," Makoto began, "has missed two days...TWO DAYS...of school, one with a test! The poor girl must be practically on her deathbed, and the last thing she is going to need to hear is the two of you fighting!" 

Makoto's face was flushed red with anger. At the fury in their friend's voice, Usagi and Rei calmed themselves, Usagi attempting a consoling smile at Rei, who made a 'hmph' sound and crossed her arms again, looking at the street. 

Makoto began warningly, "Rei-chan...." 

"Hey!" Minako shouted as a woman plowed her down, running frantically. Several other men and women began to race past them, one ramming into Rei, who pushed right back, the man staggering aside then continuing his sprint. The honking of the cars ceased and was replaced with shouting. "You rude...!" 

"Out of my way!" the woman attempted to stand, but, tangled in Minako's legs and bookbag, she tripped again, and the two went to the concrete a second time, this time Minako screeching as she hit hard. 

More figures ran past, one a man in a brown trenchcoat, who grabbed the blonde woman's sleeve. "Come on!" he pulled her off Minako, who was still trying to get herself up. The couple ran off, the woman screeching something about things always happening to them. 

"You baka!" Minako screamed after the departing figures. 

"Minako-chan, are you all right?" Rei, the argument forgotten, began to help her friend from the cement. Minako staggered, tripping over her own foot, but Makoto caught her, preventing her from another spill. 

"You baka!" Minako repeated after the now invisible form of the woman. "Some people are so rude! I can't believe....!" 

While trying to help Minako, no one had noticed Usagi begin to stare in the opposite direction than the people had been running in. She stepped forward a pace, watching the people in the street begin to leap from their cars, abandoning them, still running, to run in the opposite direction themselves. "Minako-chan?" 

"Rude, didn't even ask if I was...." 

"MINAKO-CHAN!" 

The three senshi turned to stare at the back of their leader and Princess. 

"Is it just me," Usagi asked nervously, "OR IS GODZILLA ATTACKING TOKYO?!?!" 

"What?" 

"Huh?" 

"Godzilla?" 

They looked up to see what Usagi was talking about.   
  


Around a corner building, a head was curved. It stepped further out from behind the offices, standing four stories high. A spiny crest fell over its back, sharp ends razoring from its back and down the length of its tail. A pair of thick, straight horns jutted out from a heavy plate of bone around its head, with a sharp beak that it flung open, letting loose a strangely aquatic roar. It paced forward, reddish orange eyes searching. A taloned, grasping hand landed on top of a car, crushing it as it shifted its weight down. 

It spotted the four figures that were not running away, turning its sinewy long neck. It roared again, beginning a lumbering charge. 

"Moon Crisis...." 

"Venus Crystal Power...." 

"Mars Crystal Power...." 

"Jupiter Crystal Power...." 

"MAKE-UP!"   


They arrayed themselves among the stopped cars, Venus leaping up onto a nearby one. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" 

The whip cut out, spiraling towards the creature. It impacted, breaking apart on the plated scales of the beast. "Does anybody know what that thing is?" Venus asked, a wave of dread beginning to roll over her. The Shock had not even slowed it down. 

Sailor Moon clambered into a truck's flatbed. "It's Godzilla!" 

Mars rolled her eyes. "That is NOT a man in a rubber suit!" 

"But then what is it?" 

"I don't know! But we seem to be having the not-knowing problem a lot lately!" 

Sailor Moon suddenly yelped as the truck lurched under her, knocking her from her feet. "Venus! What are you doing?" Venus had installed herself in the drivers seat of the red truck, the doors open, the truck abandoned, in the driver's panic. 

It was Jupiter who replied as she swung herself into the shotgun position beside Venus, turning around. "Mars, get in too! We have to get it out of here or it'll trash half of Tokyo!" 

Mars didn't need to be told twice. She leapt into the back. 

Venus got a wicked gleam in her eye as she jerked the stick shift, slamming her foot onto the accelerator. "Aino Minako, the future of F1 racing!" she cackled maniacally. 

They charged forward, rocketing over the curb and onto the sidewalk, since the traffic had been bumper to bumper. They winged a lamppost, sending a shower of sparks behind them as the wiring was bent out of proportion. The beast was hard pressed to slow itself, its slow but powerful charge slamming into the side of the building they had just passed. It roared again, switching directions to follow the girls, its tail swinging into the building it had rammed into, causing further bricks to come tumbling down to the street. 

"Venus!" Sailor Moon screamed as she and Mars were flung around in the back. "This is not the Sailormobile!" She managed to cling to the side, Mars grasping the window to the front seat. Venus was completely possessed now, driving like Haruka after a few too many double Espressos. They flew over a hill, tires screeching. 

Jupiter was buckled in, but was also clinging to the dashboard and the open window, bracing her legs against the floor. "Venus! Get it to the bay!" 

Venus slammed on the brakes, spinning the wheel, burning a black doughnut in the road as they switched directions. There was continued screaming from Sailor Moon and Mars in the back. 

Traffic in their way went spinning to the sides, both to avoid the flying truck and the giant creature that was behind it. 

As they approached the water, the beast behind them began to catch up, its speed increasing as it caught momentum. "Venus, we need to go faster!" Mars shouted through the back window. "It's catching up!" 

"Faster? Faster? No problem! Hang on!" Venus floored the pedal, sending them shooting forward yet again. 

Sailor Moon, staring at the gaping teeth that were coming closer, began to chant to herself, "Faster, faster, must go faster. Faster, faster, must go faster!"   
Venus slammed on the brake, sending everyone flying forward. Mars and Sailor Moon were thrown against the back window, squashing each other as Venus leapt out, looking elated. Jupiter staggered from her seat, cleared her head, and began to peel Mars and Moon from the flatbed. "It's here!" she shouted, and that managed to get the two squished senshi moving again, clambering out from the back. 

They had stopped at the docks before Tokyo Bay, warehouses lined up and down the wharves, boats bobbing gently in harbor. 

The huge monster charged through the knot the four had formed, breaking them apart. Sailor Moon took a deep breath, quickly worked out a kink in her neck, and then was ready for her usual pre-attack speech. 

"Okay, you Jurassic Park reject! I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Love and Justice! And on behalf of the Moon, you're punished!" 

"Oh, fine. Don't introduce us!" Venus snapped. "And I had to do the Indy 500!" 

Sailor Moon gave Venus a look, shaking her head. "Venus seems to be somewhat tense today." 

"Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted at her. "Would you stop with the tag lines? Burning Mandala!" 

The fiery rings sailed out, striking the beast in the shoulder, neck, and belly. It tossed its head out of the way. 

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter's ball lightning slammed into its chest. It took a step backward, slashing with its tail, cutting through several cars. At the sound of the breaking glass, it turned, made a grunting sound, and slid its tail underneath a compact car, hurling it at the senshi. 

As it approached, Sailor Moon brought her arms into the air, the Kaleidoscope forming. "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" the blast swirled outward, catching the car and blowing it apart, sending shrapnel around the dock. Mars, who was closest to Sailor Moon, threw herself at her, covering Moon's head, tucking her own down to avoid the shards of metal. 

The beast leapt forward, swiping with a taloned claw. 

"Mars Flame Sniper!" 

The arrow shot out, aimed for the creature's head. The beast saw it, managing to snap its head aside, leaving the fire to burn across the heavy plate of protective bone. A red welt glistened for a moment, festering. Then it began to steam, bubbling and hissing as the injury closed. "What the...?" 

"Mars!" Jupiter called. "Try for the eyes! Everything else is scaled!"   
"Right!" Again, Mars drew the arrow. "Mars Flame Sniper!" 

The creature, now aware of where they were aiming, brought itself low to the ground, dodging the bolt. It hurtled forward, charging at Mars and Sailor Moon. 

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" 

The whip cracking just before it, snapping on its nose, it turned, making deep growling noises, focusing on Venus. It snatched out at the red-ribboned senshi, causing her to leap to the side. Swinging its body around, its spiny, sharp tail drew a destructive line into the building behind them. Turning tightly, it reared up before Jupiter, Mars and Sailor Moon, who were together in formation, drawing close to its rear. 

Roaring, it began to come back to the ground, ready to crush them underneath its sharp claws. 

_ "Dead Scream!"___

An orb shaped bolt of light tore out of the sky, slamming directly into the upraised creature's neck, throwing it backward. It crashed into the warehouse wall, the roof caving in over it. From a portal warp in the air, Sailor Pluto was descending, the Timestaff poised and ready for another blast. The four senshi on the ground stared as Pluto came into view. Her usually withdrawn, calm face was twisted with rage. 

Pluto was utterly livid. 

It was an impressive sight. 

The creature rolled, uprighting itself, snarling at the senshi. "Stand aside!" she charged past the other four, who were still staring, open mouthed, at the furious senshi of Time. 

Around her waist, a small, silvery bag had been added to her usual string of keys. She reached in, withdrawing a tiny item. The creature charged directly at her, and Pluto showed no sign of slowing down. Instead, she leapt into the air, Timestaff in one hand, the object from the pouch in the other. As she drew closer, the object began to glow redly, becoming a red orb of light, that fluxed in Pluto's open palm. She threw the ethereal ball. It expanded, growing larger as it came closer to its target. Still snarling, it impacted, sending rippling red and white lightning over the scaled body of the creature. It let loose an infuriated howl, trying to aim a final blow at Sailor Pluto, who was now safely on the ground. Still roaring, the globe encased it, then began to shrink, taking the monster within along with it, vanishing into a speck of red light. 

Pluto's chest heaved as she took a breath, holding her head high, triumphant. She struck her Timestaff determinedly on the ground, turning to the four other senshi. 

Sailor Moon recovered her voice first. "Pluto? What was that Godzilla thing?" 

Pluto made a derisive sound, dismissing the beast. "That was the Kracken. Have you fought any other creatures like it recently?" 

"Not like that. There were some weird snake things with wings." 

"Harpies. Many?" 

The senshi nodded. 

"Any escape?" 

They nodded again. 

Pluto removed the silvery bag from her chain, stepping forward and placing it in Sailor Moon's hands. She opened it, and saw what appeared to be red marbles or beads. "What are these things?" 

"They have been suffused with the power of the Garnet Orb. There may be other creatures such as the Kracken appearing here over the next few days. Use these against them. It will return them to their own time and place." 

Mars stepped forward, brushing past Sailor Moon, who was still staring into the bag. "That...Kracken? Was from another time?" 

"Yes. Sent here by Poseidon, from the past. He has taken Sailor Mercury." 

That snapped Sailor Moon's attention away from the beads. "Ami-chan? Some god took Ami-chan? We thought she was sick!" 

"She is in the past. He has removed her Mercury Crystal from her." 

Together, everyone shouted, "_What!?_" 

"Poseidon...." at the thought, Pluto again looked about ready to kill, "had one of my keys..." she bit the words out harshly, "stolen." Pluto looked murderous. "He has taken Sailor Mercury...as best as we can discern, it was to work for him somehow. She has apparently declined his offer. He has sworn vengeance against her, sending some of his minions through the rifts in space time. That is the cause of the attacks. Poseidon forced his way through, using my key. It is causing distortions. Time is passing far more quickly for Mercury than it is here. Chronos, Rhea and I have been attempting to mend the rifts." 

"Poseidon...Chronos, Rhea?" Sailor Jupiter asked. "She's in Greece or something?" 

"Yes. Mycenean age. She is attempting to retrieve her Crystal." 

Silence passed between the senshi, filled with worried glances. Sailor Moon finally came to a decision. "I'm going back to help her." 

To this, three shouts of "No!" came from the senshi. 

Mars snapped irritably, "We're supposed to protect you, remember? You'll be needed here if there are any more of those things coming."   
"But we can't just leave her there alone! Pluto! You have to send someone back to help her!" 

Pluto frowned. "I disagree. However, Rhea and Chronos agree with you. One of the other senshi may go. They believe that the longer Mercury is in the past, the more alterations there will be to it. Two senshi for a short time may do less damage than one for a long time. " She broke a key from its chain, holding it out, palm up, for the one who would be joining their missing friend. 

Pluto waited, patient, as the three remaining senshi silently debated between themselves.   
  


"Are you absolutely sure?" Hermes asked Ami again, for what Ami had counted to be the eighty-second time. She had sought him out after her talk with Odysseus, three days prior, telling him her thoughts on the location of Poseidon. Xeones had men working from dawn to dusk fixing, patching and caulking Seastrider. She was in fine condition once again, even if she still carried the battle scar left from Chardbyis on her hull. The tattered sail was replaced yet again, a crimson cloth low and ready to be drawn, the symbol of Athena stitched in blue across its front, a triangle atop a cross. 

It was now early that morning, a brisk breeze slicing through the air as Aurora, the dawn goddess, awoke, staining the sky pink with haze on the horizon. Ami and Hermes had refused a crew onboard. Laertes had argued hotly against it, claiming that none could pilot a ship alone in such a way. Hermes had simply told him they already had. 

The worst arguing had come after, from Anticleia, who had remained silent during her husband's ranting. She had quietly bespoken Ami, trying as well to get her to accept a crew of Ithaka's men. At Ami's repeated refusals, she hand shaken her head, muttering, "It is folly," and had retreated, not to say anything on the matter again. 

Seastrider had been brought from her earlier dock to the larger one outside the palace walls, now bobbing in wait for them as they walked down the beach. "Ames, I can't believe it would be that easy. Are you sure that's what the Hags meant? Poseidon has lots of cities loyal to him." 

"I'm sure, Hermes. Odysseus said Aegae, and I think that's where he is. You said it yourself the city there is loyal to him." 

"I thought you said he was on an island." 

"I did. That's where I was taken, anyway." _I think._

"You're sure...?"   
"Eighty four."   
"What?"   
"Eighty four. You have literally asked me that exactly eighty four times. It's getting a little old, Hermes." 

Odysseus was waiting for them as they got to their ship, his bow slung over his shoulder with his quiver of white feathered arrows. Seamen were already packing up their nets, casting off for the morning fish run. Laertes and Anticleia had bid them farewell at the palace, and they had been able to meet, then leave, Xeones, who had awakened that night from his deep sleep. 

"Argos! Get back! Argos!" Hermes found himself bowled over as the massive puppy took to giving him a tongue bath. 

"Odysseus, get your mutt off me!" 

Odysseus wrestled the dog back, Ami lending Hermes a hand in getting back to his feet. 

Argos managed to settle himself down at his master's heel, tongue lolling as he panted. "Are you all right, Hermes?" Ami asked as Hermes gave the dog a dirty look. 

"Could have been worse. Could have been one of those gulls up there divebombing. Or giving us presents." 

Above, a dozen seagulls pinwheeled, screaming in demand for leftover scraps. As they watched the birds, they began to disperse, screaming off further inland. "Yeah," Hermes muttered, "you'd better not think about it." 

"Ami?" Odysseus was tilting his head to one side, watching the blue haired girl observantly. "What you said, about Ithaka...." 

"Wait, Odysseus," Ami told him, smiling first at him, then Hermes, who was watching their exchange with passive interest. She held a finger to her lips, imitating the way Anticleia had in Athena's shrine. 

"Yeah, well. I guess I should get married before I go off on any campaigns," he looked between Ami and Hermes, eyes glinting with humor. 

"Anyone in mind?" Ami asked innocently. 

"Maybe." 

"If she's as smart as your mother, you'll..." 

It was the sound of wood snapping and men screaming that interrupted her, turning their heads around to face the aqua expanse of the bay. In the center, a creature was emerging from the foam that surged around it, red light emanating from it as it solidified. Massive claws speared the ship, ripping it from the water it had been sailing in. Jaws extended, it bit down into the ship, snapping it in half. Men dived or fell into the sea, some grappling for wood to float, some swimming, some drifting, lifeless, as the water bled around them. 

"Hermes, what is that?" Ami, out of habit, reached for her Mercury Crystal, finding instead her hand filled with the coiling curves of hair that the Medusa had sculpted into her head. 

"Kracken!" Odysseus and Hermes exclaimed at once, Hermes drawing the sword that he had slung across his chest that morning, Odysseus unstrapping his bow, nocking an arrow. 

"Argos! Home!" at such a command from Odysseus, Argos tore off, barking as he sped towards the palace wall. 

_That was the thing Poseidon had at his island, all curled up and sleeping when I saw it. Usagi-chan would probably say it looks like Godzilla or something.___

Ami pulled her own blade, the knife that was attached to her arm once again. _Not that it will do that much good against a big thing like that.___

The Kracken threw the boat aside, not finding what it was searching for. It turned on the coastline, speeding forward, white spray foaming up behind it as it tore along, charging straight for the awaiting three on the dock. The men who remained on their ships around them either drew weapons or ran for the relative safety of the palace. 

"Prince, what....?" one of the men asked of Odysseus. 

"Get back!" 

"We won't abandon you!" 

"You're not armed! Get out of here! Get father!" 

The seaman shouted for the others to fall back as the alarm sounded from the escalade wall, a booming ring that echoed out across the water. Ami, Hermes and Odysseus backed up, off the wooden planking that served as the dock, onto the rocky beach. 

The Kracken reared up, arching its slender, sinewy neck, roaring as it swung downward, teeth ready to slice. An arrow flew from the bow, its mark the ruby iris of the Kraken. 

It struck, sending the creature roaring backward, hauling itself out of the water fully as it grappled with the shaft that was now protruding from its left eye. A stream of red blood streaked down over its jawbone. 

Slashing, it spun heavily in pain, sweeping sand up as its heavy tail flew over the beach. Two more arrows shot out, but this time, the beast was ready, swinging its armor protected hulk between itself and its vulnerable eyes. A hind foot slashed out towards Ami, and she leapt back, rolling as she hit the sand. 

The head swung around, aiming again for the blue haired target. "Ames!" Hermes, with his speed, ran as Ami threw her knife at the open jaws of the creature, embedding the blade into the soft inner side of its mouth. Another arrow screamed forward, snapping as it hit the bony crest of the Kracken. 

It thundered forward again, still pursuing Ami, who Hermes had set down, and was now standing before, some few lengths further from the palace. _It's after me. I have to get it out of here. It will keep hurting people if I don't. How do you trap such a huge creature?___

The Kracken began its charge again, massive strides outdistancing Odysseus, who was attempting to run up behind it. It stretched out again, obsidian talons cleaving through the air down at the awaiting Hermes and Ami. 

_"Jupiter…Oak Evolution!"___

Razoring electric leaves flew in a hurricane at the Kracken's head, as a tall, ponytailed Sailor Jupiter looking ready to fight emerged at the line of the beach, a silvery, curled key hanging from a chain around her neck. Running forward, she attacked again, "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" 

Two attacks, so rapid in succession, knocked the Kracken back. Odysseus took this to his advantage, releasing several more arrows at the Kracken's head to further confuse it as it dodged. "I'm almost out!" Odysseus shouted in warning as he prepared his second to last arrow. 

_ Trap it somehow. Nets? What net large enough? Wait.…___

"Jupiter! Get it into the water!" 

"Got it!" Jupiter spun, the ball lightning forming again. "Sparkling Wide..." 

"Odysseus! The water!" 

"...Pressure!" 

Ami ran forward, Hermes a stride behind her. "Ames, what are you doing?" 

Another arrow hit, this time striking just below the eye, winging the lid. It was close enough to send the Kracken into a fury, lashing out with its tail as it thrashed at its injured eye. The ball lightning struck as it reeled, overturning the sea monster. It crashed into the water, half submerged as it slid out into the bay, water winging up around it as it writhed. 

"Ami-chan! Again?" 

But Ami ignored Jupiter's shout for the moment, splashing knee deep into the roiling foam. She shoved her hands into the water as it drenched her clothes, smacking her face. She closed her eyes and spat the water out as she drew upon the flow of water within her. 

_ Don't fail me now. You came at Scylla and Chardbyis.... Please work now. The aegis of Athena. A shield. But then, what is a shield but a cage used for a person rather than against them?___

Before her, a fan of water was spurting upward, growing slowly. 

_ The water. The flowing sound. It accompanied the shield. It has never left. Stay with me. Help me. Make the aegis grow....___

The fan soared upward as Ami poured power into it, racing out from her fingertips. Warmth spread out from her chest where the Medusa's eyes had opened again, bright silver. Ami opened her eyes to see the flow of water around her hands, her eyes gleaming silvery blue in the light of the Medusa, lighting her face and hair as it flowed around her head. The Kracken, uprighting itself in its element, floated a moment, then summoned the surging seas around it, hurtling itself forward with incredible speed. 

It met Ami's wall of water, thin and crystalline as it was. 

_ Now.___

She released the aegis, feeling herself caught in Hermes' hands as she was tossed backward by the pummeling waves. It spun outward, spiraling, meeting the Kracken in its charge. They fought against each other as the Kracken forced itself forward. Claws scrambled against the polished surface, clambering for a hold to slide around on. The aegis domed over the top, collapsing onto the sides, bubbling around the beast. 

Lashing again, its tail and claws fought for some flaw in the sheen of water that did not exist. 

"Go back to Poseidon and explain that," Ami breathed as Hermes dragged her unwillingly from the water. The Kracken, trapped in its globe of water, submerged to the sound of suction from around it. Odysseus took Ami's other arm, and she tried to shake both of them off. "I'm fine. Really. Hermes, let me go." 

She staggered a step as their support was cut off. She straightened herself out. _Well. That was an interesting experiment.___

"Ami-chan?" 

Ami wheeled as she heard the familiar voice. "Mako-chan?" she asked, looking just as disbelieving as Jupiter. 

"Ami-chan!" Jupiter shrieked, running forward and swinging her around as Ami gasped against her tall friend's crushing hug. "You're okay! Who are they? You got a tan! What the hell did you do to that thing? Do you have any idea how much that thing trashed back home? When did you learn to do that?"   
"Jupiter!" Ami gasped, "I need to breathe!" 

"Ami-chan!" Jupiter dropped Ami. "What happened? Pluto told us that-" 

It finally seemed to strike Jupiter that they had an audience with ears. She stopped mid-ramble and looked at the two watching them with a mixed look of concern, humor and curiosity. 

"Please tell me I didn't screw up as much as I think I did." 

"It's okay, Jupiter. They can't even understand what we're saying." 

"Why?" 

"Lingual shifts in Japanese have changed so much that the Japanese of this time-" 

"Wait!" Jupiter was shaking her head and holding up a hand. "Never mind, Ami. I'll take your word for it." 

"Oh. Well, this is Hermes. And this is Odysseus." 

Hearing their names, the two males straightened, trying to control their faces. "But...before I do anymore introductions, Jupiter, you'd better de-transform. Laertes is going to be on his way any minute now." 

"But they-" Jupiter began to protest, gesturing at the other two. 

"It's okay. Just do it. I'll explain in a minute." 

"Okay...." Jupiter agreed warily, watching the other two as she returned to normal, in her beige and white school uniform. 

That caused them to gawk openly. "Um, Ames, that's not exactly the usual wear around here." 

"I know," then turning, "Mako-chan, you need to get some sort of period piece outfit." 

"What? I can't do that!" 

"Usagi-chan used to all the time." 

"She had that pen thing!" 

"And you have your Jupiter Crystal." 

"But I've never...!" 

"Try, Mako-chan, please." Ami cast a nervous glance up to where the road opened onto the beach. There were shouts approaching, and the alarm was pounding more urgently. 

"All right, all right! Um, Jupiter Power! Morph me into a...Mycenaean woman...in a cool outfit! Please?" 

Electricity crackled out of the Jupiter Crystal as Makoto lifted it into the air. A circle of lightning pulsed around her, beginning at her feet and flying up around her head. As the energy passed over her, her uniform was replaced by another outfit. 

It was a deep green, sleeveless dress that fell to her knees, tied off at the waist by a pink sash that trailed over her hip. Supple leather sandals replaced her loafers, tying around her ankles. Her hair still remained in its usual ponytail, but the beaded rubberband was gone, replaced by a ribbon to match her sash, woven around her head in the Hellenic style, leaving a narrow coil of hair to curl smoothly over her shoulder. 

Makoto examined her back and front, in surprise that it had worked, and delight because she thought it looked, "Cool." 

It was just in time. Laertes and two dozen armed men, bristling with spears exploded from the treeline, running full tilt at the awaiting quartet. 

Seeing his son and guests safe, he began to issue orders. "Hylax, Iasus. Alert the villages up and down the coastline," barely they were gone when he was delivering further ones, Irus and Poias, Thrasymedes and Neleus, all sent in different directions to attend to their duties. 

This done, Laertes focused on the new member of the group, who was not wet, like Ami and Hermes, or covered in sand, such as his son. "Who are you?" he asked reasonably, his bearded face set to wait, spear still in hand. 

Makoto, aware she was being addressed, just looked confused. "Ami-chan? What did he say?" 

_Uh-oh. Mako-chan can't speak Greek! In any era, not just this one.___

Ami replied for her. "Laertes, this is my friend, Makoto." Then, switching to Japanese, "Mako-chan, this is Laertes, king of Ithaka." 

Laertes, for all his usual good humor, was narrowly watchful of the newcomer who was bowing before him politely. He extended his hand, and Makoto, who understood that, grasped it. "Ah, Laertes. Makoto was telling me, as you came up, that she was shocked at the strange thing that just happened to her." 

"And that was?" Laertes was still frowning. 

"She said that the goddess Athena sent Iris to get her, to bring her to me here, to help us fight the Kracken." 

"And how did she help you do that?" 

"Uh..." Ami stuttered. 

Hermes noticed Ami's discomforture, and leapt in to help. "She is a priestess! To Zeus! The Kracken didn't dare attack her, out of fear that Zeus would strike it dead!" 

_ A priestess? Mako-chan? Oh, Rei-chan would just shit if she heard that. Ami! Watch your language, even if it is in your head! Well, no one heard it at least....And as for the story, I suppose it will work...In the Iliad, Apollo got pretty mad when Chryseis was taken from her father...and she was the daughter of a priest, not a priestess herself....___

Makoto, while this was going on, was smiling numbly, hoping that whatever Ami and the Hermes guy were saying would clear things up. When the man Ami introduced as Laertes broke into a smile, she relaxed, and nearly was thrown from her feet when Laertes thwacked her on the back cheerily. 

"You'll be staying with us another day then! The boats will be coming back in. Odysseus! Tell me how the Kracken was defeated! We saw from the palace a wall of water rise up...." 

Ami and Makoto let out twin held breaths as Laertes steered his son away from them. 

"Ami-chan, are you all right? What did he...?" she cast a sharp look at Hermes. 

"Don't worry. It's all right. This is Hermes. We're on Ithaka. And the Odysseus I tried to introduce a moment ago? That's THE Odysseus." 

"Like from the '_Odyssey_' thing you were trying to get Usagi-chan to read at the last study session?" 

"Yes." 

"I don't suppose that's THE Hermes, then?" 

"Yes." 

"What did he do in the Odyssey?" 

"Mako-chan, I mean it. Hermes. Like the god." 

Realization dawning, Makoto gaped at the young man standing and smirking at them. "You're kidding, right?" 

Ami laughed. "Come on. I have tons to tell you." Her face growing serious, Ami took Makoto's arm. "How's Mom? Is she okay? Is she worried? What happened?" 

It took the better part of the day to get both sides of the story told, more on Ami's part than Makoto's since she had, to her mind, been gone for approximately a month. They sat in Ami's room in the palace, folded up across from each other on Ami's bed. Makoto had been given a room down the hall. "So the others are going to rotate watching your Mom, Ami-chan. Poseidon gets anything else through to her, and we'll know right away." 

"Arigatou, Mako-chan." 

"No problem," she pulled the timekey out from under her tunic. "Pluto was furious. Your friend Hermes is not on Setsuna-san's good side." 

Ami's cheeks pinked slightly as she murmured in Hermes's defense, "Hermes isn't as bad as you must think…." 

"Pluto looked about ready to kill. She never gets mad. You know Sets." 

"Hermes has helped me out plenty of times now." 

"Well, keep him away from Pluto unless you want him 'Dead Screamed' into the fourth dimension." 

"I'll keep that in mind." 

Eurycleia interrupted their dialogue by bursting in the door, bubbling with the news that dinner was ready.   
  
  



	8. The Isle of the Winds

Ami's Odyssey 

_It keeps eternal whisperings around_   
_Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell_   
_Gluts twice ten thousand Caverns, till the spell_   
_Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound._   
_Often 'tis in such gentle temper found,_   
_That scarcely will the very smallest shell_   
_Be moved for days from where it sometime fell,_   
_When last the winds of Heaven were unbound._   
_Oh ye! who have your eyeballs vexed and tired,_   
_Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea;_   
_Oh ye! whose ears are dinned with uproar rude,_   
_Or fed too much with cloying melody-_   
_Sit ye near some old Cavern's Mouth and brood,_   
_Until ye start, as if the sea nymphs quired!_

_-John Keats, "On the Sea"_

  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 7 - The Isle of the Winds   


"This sucks," Makoto announced to no one in particular as she snapped her finger out of the tightening grip of the knot. They had left Ithaka that morning, their destination set for Aegae...or whatever island was close to it. The sea again was silent, placid and utterly windless. They were tacking slowly back and forth, making excruciatingly slow progress. It was evening now, the hour when the sky shaded itself imperial purple. 

Makoto tossed her curl of hair over her shoulder as she finished fastening the sailor's knot in place, the heavy looping holding the mast tightly. Her job finished, she joined Ami at the prow. Ami was not looking to the brightened area of the sky, but to the waters below, watching the darkening blueness gain wings of white foam, fanning out to the sides of the ship. The hull sliced through the water with soft swishing sounds, unaccompanied by the cries of gulls or men. 

Peering down into the depths as well, Makoto asked, "Do you know how long it will take to get to this Aegae place?" 

Ami sighed, eyes still downcast as she leaned over the rail. "With the wind as it is, there's no telling. It's not that far, really. Through the strait, then around the land. Then...we just keep our eyes open for an island, I suppose." 

"Ames?" Hermes called from his usual place at the tiller. "You want to make dinner or are we just having cheese and stuff?" 

"What?" Makoto asked. 

"He wants me to get something for dinner. Come to mention it, we didn't eat anything for lunch, did we?" 

"Too busy tacking," Makoto glowered darkly at the mast. Then she perked up. "But I can cook dinner if you want! You had clams in the stores, wine, olives, bread...I ought to be able to whip something good up." 

"Ames, what is she doing?" Hermes asked as he watched Makoto begin to haul out the long disused frying pan that had somehow remained onboard through Chardbyis' attempt to swallow them. 

"She's going to make dinner." 

Hermes suddenly frowned, and his voice took on a petulant edge as he stated, "I thought we were having sushi sandwiches again." 

Puzzled at Hermes' tone, Ami defended Makoto, who was now occupied by placing clams in the pan, by saying, "Mako-chan's a great cook, Hermes. She'll make us something lots better than sandwiches." 

"I like the sandwiches." 

"Hermes, is there something wrong?" 

"Forget it. Let her cook. Whatever." 

_Great. Now he's back to the way we were at the beginning of this trip. What is it with him sometimes?_   


As the dusk settled on the sea around them, Makoto produced a concoction of clams cooked in wine, mixed with crumbled feta cheese and olive oil. Hermes took a mouthful after Ami glared at him to do so. The food almost fell from his mouth as he realized it was actually quite good. 

"Ames, this is great!" he exclaimed after swallowing. 

"Tell Mako-chan that." 

Hermes glanced at the brunette, who was watching him after hearing Ami use her name. "It's good," he admitted after a minute. 

Ami translated it, but Makoto already seemed to understand. "He doesn't like me very much, does he?" 

Trying not to shy away, Ami looked down as she thought the best way to explain Hermes' odd behavior. "He didn't like me very much at first either, Mako-chan. Don't worry. He kind of grows on you." 

"What are you two saying?" Hermes demanded as he began to suspect the girls were talking about something other than the food. 

Switching back to Hellenic, Ami answered, "Oh, we were just discussing stopping at Myrsinus before we really get through the strait." 

"We've got supplies. We don't really need to stop." 

"We agree. Same reasons. Mako-chan told me things are getting bad back home. The sooner we retrieve my Crystal, the better." 

"How are you going to get back? Getting the Crystal may be one thing, but I doubt Poseidon is going to be happy to give the timekey back too." 

"Mako-chan has her own. Pluto gave it to her. We'll use that. Don't worry." 

"Do I look worried?" 

Ami laughed lightly. "You never look worried!" 

"Never?" 

"No. Stubborn, self-centered and full of hubris, yes. Worried, never!" 

"I'm not stubborn!" 

To respond to that, Ami laughed again, and only harder when Hermes defiantly tried to protest that he was not.   
  


Makoto watched the exchange in Hellenic Greek with mild interest. The language itself didn't concern her much. But the way Ami was laughing and chatting so casually with a man...a very good looking man, at that, and a god, no less...made her wonder what exactly she had interrupted.   


It was Ami who spotted the haze of land on the horizon. She had awoke early, long before dawn, finding Hermes keeled over the rudder, sleeping like a little boy, a faint smile on his face as he dreamed. Makoto was curled up at the brazier, one arm tucked under her head, the other extended as though reaching for some unknown goal. Ami stepped over her slumbering friend after she had checked on Hermes. Untying the rope, she adjusted it to a new direction, following a peculiar instinct that commanded her. _The water. Always the water. The sound of it is growing stronger now...._

Afraid to wake Hermes, she lifted his hands from the steering shaft of wood, turning it herself to aim them along course. The dim, nebulous form of land emerged along the edge of her vision some time later, as the sky was tinged pink by the awakening goddess of the dawn. 

Sleepily, Hermes opened an eye to see Ami sitting closely opposite him. "Ames? Wha-?" he yawned mightily. 

"There is an island. I am taking us to it." 

At that, Hermes awoke more clearly. "I thought we decided we wouldn't stop." 

Ami half closed her eyes. _No...we should stop here. The water. It's the water. I don't understand...._

Softly, words came to her, and she recited them, saying phrases that would not be written for many hundreds of years yet.   
_"We reached the Aeolian island next, the home of Aeolus,_   
_ Hippotas' son, beloved by the gods who never die-_   
_ a great floating island it was, and round it all_   
_ huge ramparts rise of indestructible bronze_   
_ and sheer rock cliffs shoot up into the sky."_   


"Ames?" 

Ami opened her eyes fully, meeting Hermes concerned gaze. _The 'Odyssey.' It seems to follow me everywhere now. Scylla and Charbydis. Ithaka. Now Aeolia, where the king of the winds lives._

"Hermes, Aeolus wouldn't happen to be a friend of yours, would he?" 

Hermes leapt up, running up to the prow of the ship. "Ames, that's brilliant!" he shouted back at her. 

At the noise, Makoto awoke to see a very excited Hermes. "Huh?" Bewildered, she turned to Ami for an explanation. "Ami-chan?" 

But Ami had picked up on Hermes' enthusiasm. "Hermes, will it work? Would he help us?" _He helped Odysseus in the future! Or what will be the future, anyway._

"We can talk to him at least," Hermes was saying. "Aeolus never liked Poseidon much. Said he was always acting as though the water was the only thing needed for a good sail." 

"And every ship needs the wind!" 

"Which is exactly what we need!" 

"Ami-chan!" 

Hermes and Ami turned to look at Makoto, who was shifting uncomfortably on the deck. "What is going on? Are we landing?" 

"Makoto, I think we might have a way to get moving again!"   
  


It was nearing mid-morning when they managed to get Seastrider into a naturally forming bay. There was little on the island that they could see. Hermes assured them this was natural, that Aeolus was a very private sort of god. That was the reason that the island floated, never passing the same expanse of water twice, ever changing, blowing with the wind that the island's lord provided. Sharp rocks surrounded the shores, to which Hermes steered them expertly though, dropping anchor in the little bay. 

Hermes led them on their way, heading over the beach and into the island's rocky interior. Ami marveled at the amazing number of birds that flew overhead, dipping and soaring around them in the steady breeze. The wind here was steady if not strong, enough to set their hair and the fabric of their clothing rippling. As they passed through a particular grove of trees, they set off a flight of blue butterflies, that lit the air around them in faerie fire. But for the singing of the birds and the flapping of their wings, the island of the winds was abnormally quiet. A well cleared, if relatively unused, path led them deeper in, until they came to a clearing. 

In the center of the small plateau, two men were locked in combat. The ringing of blade against blade sang through the air musically as the larger man beat down the smaller he faced. The smaller of the two was thrown to the ground as the larger laughed loudly, bringing up his sword to finish the battle. 

"No!" Makoto cried as she charged forward, wildly running the distance, hair flying out behind her as she brought up her fists, ready to fight. 

"Ames! Wait!" Hermes grabbed Ami's wrist as she began to take off after her fellow senshi. 

"Hermes, let me go! What are you doing? She'll need help!" 

Laughing, Hermes shook his head. "Don't worry, he won't hurt her." 

"It's not her I'm worried about!" 

Ami broke Hermes' hold on her and tore off after Makoto. Hermes, still chuckling, trotted casually behind. 

Makoto had reached the first man, pummeling him over as his sword embedded itself into the other man's stomach. "What the-?" the larger man began to shout, his laughter abruptly cut off as his chin became the receiving end of Makoto's fist. 

"Pick on someone your own size!" she shouted, tackling the man down, pinning him, arm behind him, arm behind his back. She smashed his face into the dirt. "How dare you try to kill people! I will punish you, in the name of-!" 

"MAKO-CHAN!" Ami shouted over Makoto's furious dialogue. "He's not dead!" 

"What?" 

The smaller of the men was laughing hysterically on the ground, somehow managing to get himself into a sitting position, arms wrapped around his stomach, not in pain from the sword that was sticking out of his middle, but from cramping over the incredible gale of laughter that he was howling. In a futile attempt, the man tried to dry laughter tears from his eyes, which were streaming down his face. "Bor-Boreas...she...your...face...!" Even these few words were enough to set the man to cracking up again, the sword still in his stomach. 

"Would you MIND?" the man Makoto was pinning grunted, trying to dislodge the young woman on his back. She dug her knee into the small of his spine, glancing sharply at Ami. 

"What did he say?" 

Ami looked between the man who appeared to be dying more from laughter than the sword, then at Hermes, who was making a very weak attempt to smother his own laughter. _Great. More gods. Just great._

"Mako-chan, I think it's okay. I think we just broke up sword practice for a couple gods. Look," she pointed at the sword in the man's belly. Makoto looked disbelieving for a moment, then blushed crimson, hurriedly clambering off the god she had just clobbered's back. 

Ami gave Hermes a sour glance as he greeted the two men. "Hermes!" 

"Boreas! Notus!" 

"Hermes!" 

"Ames?" 

"Mako-chan!" 

"Makoto?" 

"Ami-chan?" 

"Boreas? Notus?" 

"Who?" 

Then, everyone turned to Hermes and shouted, "HERMES!" 

"What?" he demanded back. 

Ami placed her fingers to her temple in an attempt to absorb all this. Makoto's hands went into fists again, and she was doing an admirable job of restraining herself from attacking Hermes this time. Boreas and Notus were chuckling at this particularly bizarre joke. Hermes shook his head a couple times, then sighed. "Boreas, Notus, this is Ami," he pointed, "and Makoto. She doesn't speak our language." 

"Doesn't huh?" Notus said on the sly, eyes gleaming suggestively at the two young women before him. "Nymphs? I know a couple of great private spots on the mainland you could take them, Hermes." Then, looking at Makoto, "That one is feisty...." 

He was silenced as Ami grabbed, then shoved, the sword in his belly deeper. His eyes bulged as she pulled it roughly out. "_She_ can't. _I_ can." 

"Ami-chan?" Makoto asked, looking shocked at her quiet friend's sudden decision to twist metal in a man's stomach.   
Ami relayed what Notus had said.   


Makoto went ashen, then leapt forward, fists ready to pummel him into the dirt she had vacated a moment ago. Ami, ready, grabbed her arm, whispering hoarsely, "We might need their help. To get home, remember?" 

Glaring at Notus, Makoto relaxed a bit. "He says anything again...." she cracked her knuckles. Notus got the hint and backed up a bit.   
Hermes shook his head. "Sorry about that, Ames. Notus has a big mouth." Hermes shoved the man aside. "This is Boreas, and, well, Notus."   
Notus was a small, wiry man, with dark olive skin and a shock of pitch black hair that breezed around his head, floating instead of settling on his shoulders. A broad nose was set slightly askew on his face, and rather than detracting from his looks, gave him a quirkiness. 

Boreas was nearly the polar opposite. He was broad shouldered, narrow hipped and pale. A small, strait nose slanted over broad lips. Long white hair that was tinged with ice blue had been braided around his head, swirling over his shoulders. The only commonality between them was their eye color, a bright, sparkling blue. 

Each was dressed for their practice, with a light set of armor on, which, in Notus' case, had not given him much protection. "Mako-chan...." 

"What?" 

"Boreas and Notus. The names. Boreas is the god of the North wind, and Notus is the South." 

Makoto looked over the two men again. She folded her arms expectantly. "Not much for gods." 

"Mako-chan! Be nice." 

"Why?" 

"Well, ah...."   


Boreas interrupted their discussion in a booming voice. "Ami and Makoto? May I ask what you are doing with this guy?" he jerked a thumb at Hermes, who rolled his eyes and ran a hand though his hair. 

"That is a long story," Ami replied. _I'm kind of glad this one was able to cream Notus. Much more polite, even after Mako-chan attacked him. _ "I'd be happy to tell it, Boreas." 

"Ah, Ames, he doesn't need to know about...." Hermes tried to interrupt. 

Notus snorted in disgust, his black hair roiling around his head. "You got caught, didn't you?" 

Hermes gave him a look full of daggers. 

Boreas set a heavy hand on Hermes shoulder. "You need our help?" 

"Aeolus', if possible." 

Boreas nodded grimly. "His family has gone for the time being. The Nightingale has remained with him." 

"How is she?" 

"Still growing. Adorable as always." 

"Hermes?" Ami asked, placing a hand on his arm to catch his attention. "Who is the Nightingale?" 

Hermes shook his head. "You'll meet her soon, along with Aeolus, if these clowns would be so kind to show us to the palace." 

"Of course," Boreas agreed, turning to gather up their things at the edge of the clearing. 

"Ami, where are we going?" 

"I think we're finally going to see the king of the wind." 

"Ami-chan?" 

"Yes?" as Ami turned, she got a bad feeling. Makoto was doing the look again. 

"You know, Boreas reminds me of sempai...." 

_Oh, no. Not again. Not NOW. _"Mako-chan?" 

"Mmmm?" 

Boreas was in the middle of removing his armor and placing a tunic on. 

"Did you ever beat your sempai into the dirt?" 

"No...." Makoto replied dreamily. 

"Did he have long white hair with braids and fight with swords?" 

"No...." Makoto replied, still dreamily. 

She sighed. "Okay. Just so long as he looks somewhat remotely similar." 

"Yeah...." Makoto began to float forward to follow Boreas, who was beginning to head towards another pathway. 

"Ames? What's with your friend?" 

Ami tried very hard not to bury her face in her hands. She failed. "Don't worry. She'll snap out of it. Hopefully," with a martyred sigh, Ami began to trudge after Makoto, who had now caught up to a startled Boreas, and was attempting to apologize for beating him up. 

Boreas and Notus led them across the plateau. The expanse here was bare of trees. It was too rocky, with only shrubs clinging precariously to their anchors of thin soil. Mosses made the rocks slick, but provided a cool green carpet over the rocks, creating the deception of a lush field. Aeolus' palace was placed high and lofty on a ridge overlooking the corner of the island, offering a panoramic vista to any who stood on its walls. 

Columns like rays of the sun held a lofty ceiling high overhead, that whorled and swirled in the way of clouds. They moved through an atrium, golden sunshine striking against the golden flecks of mica caught in the tile. Their footfalls rang hollowly through these halls, filled with the sighing of breezes.   
Then Ami noticed the odd thing. Birds. They were perched on tabletops, on archways, on statues. And they watched them approach eerily, silently. One, a swallow, suddenly dislodged herself from her perch, swooping down the hallway. They followed. 

It was in an aviary that the peculiar bird stopped, flitting into the trees. A high, glassy domed ceiling arched thinly above them, foreign trees from across the world filled the vast chamber. Redwoods and maple, oak and beech, ginko and dogwood, ebony and mahogany. Cherry blossoms flitted across Ami's vision, reminding her of certain other senshi who liked to appear with such a flourish. In the distance, the sound of water sprinkling into a pond reached them, as did the sound of a child singing. 

_"Standing on the bridge that crosses_   
_ The river that goes out to the sea_   
_ The wind is full of a thousand voices_   
_ They pass by the bridge and me...."_   


The airy voice halted after a moment. _Ah, that must be the Nightingale._

"Aeolus?" Hermes called into the following quiet. "It's Hermes." 

A child's voice, a young girl's, responded, "We're at the pond! Come and look!" The words were followed by a delighted giggle. The troop of five broke through the rampant flora to discover an older, what could be called stately, gentleman sitting at the edge of the pond, on a flat stone that extended in. A young girl sat across from him, knees tucked up under her. The gentleman was white haired, but no wrinkles showed the mark of time on his weathered face. Lines there were drawn from centuries of working with the wind. His clothes were rich, blue in their hue, layered over his narrow shoulders. His hands were in the air, manipulating the space before him. 

In his hands, he tied a rainbow into a knot, bending and refracting the invisible and colored rays of light into the shape he desired. A flower was his goal. It blossomed in red and purple and gold. A blue butterfly lit itself onto the outermost petal as the girlchild giggled again, laughing at the gift. "Thank you, papa!" she wrapped her thin arms around his neck. 

Ami glanced at Makoto to see if Mako was thinking as she was. At Makoto's glance, Ami nodded. Mako-chan sees it too. _The resemblance to Hotaru...._

They shared the same violet eyes, the same straight black hair. The Nightingale wore hers pulled back, plaited, adorned with adonis blossoms. Her clothing was a gentle lavender silk. Her wide eyes looked up at the strangers through spidery black lashes. 

"Boreas!" she ran over and was scooped up by the large god of the northerly winds. 

"Being good, Aedon?" 

"Yes!" 

He spun her around his shoulders then set her dizzily back on her feet. 

"And he's good with children too!" Makoto whispered breathlessly to Ami, who merely covered her face with a hand. 

_ Aedon. The word for nightingale._

"Aedon, come here," Aeolus beckoned, and his daughter obeyed, curling up beside her father. Aeolus looked at the newcomers. "I cannot help you." 

_ My, that's the direct approach._

Hermes frowned. "And why is that, Aeolus? Poseidon scare you off?" 

"Papa says that he can't, Hermes," the little girl's voice had a sound of finality to it. If papa says, then it most certainly must be. 

"I choose my battles with him," Aeolus looked up from another rainbow flower he created. "I will not fight over this. Unless there is something greater at stake than you having a romp around the Ionian?" Aeolus sounded caustic, dry as old leather. He threaded a rainbow flower through a weave in his daughter's hair. 

_ None of the gods, save Zeus, Athena, Chronos, Rhea, possibly Themis, since she sentenced him, and Hermes know of our mission. Poseidon, of course, but he is the cause. Athena said, 'Zeus has been informed, as must be, and I, since Poseidon's action was meant against me. No other gods have been told of your existence here.' Aeolus included it seems. We cannot involve him. Me making veiled references to things that may happen...who knows how different they may be from fact? They are mythos, after all...but that is one thing. Aeolus...he would want an explanation, not some hint on the sly. Damage to the timestream. It has to be protected._

Hermes was readying himself to debate this particular statement, but was silenced by Ami's hand on his arm. He looked at her openmouthed. She blinked up at him. Silently they debated between themselves. Makoto stared at this odd exchange of argument. It seemed that Ami won when Hermes' shoulders sagged. "Whatever," he mumbled, then turned and stalked out of the aviary. 

"You are welcome," Aeolus said, "to food and drink you may need. Aedon will show you," the girl scrambled to her feet, taking Ami and Makoto's hands in hers. 

"Come! I'll show you the stores!" 

Too surprised to object, the little girl dragged them away.   
  


Notus kicked a stone into the pond. "You won't help them at all? Hermes is a friend and relative, old man." 

Aeolus appeared disinterested in Notus' arguments. He folded himself up, watching the birds that fluttered through the trees, singing contentedly as he gazed at them out of bleary blue eyes. "I pick my battles. My daughter will care for them. See that you provide what she requests. Go. I am tired."   
He folded his hands onto his lap, closing his eyes. To all appearance, he was a living statue. Boreas made a motion with his head at Notus, jerking it toward the door.   


Aedon saw that Makoto was very fond of food, and so had her heavily laden with every delicacy that Aeolia possessed, even though Ami protested that they would never eat it all. Makoto was in heaven, even coming out of her daze over Boreas and his resemblance to her sempai, though she remembered it quickly enough later. Honey cakes, nuts, sweets and spices in tiny bits of cloth were added. Ami got an earful about what Makoto would be cooking. 

It was Hermes who interrupted them in the midst of putting the new supplies into a bag. "We need to get going. If Aeolus won't help, we have to keep moving." 

"Right. Come on Mako-chan. We have to go." 

"Oh yes, you should be going," Aedon agreed. Then, winking, she added to Ami, "Tell her that Boreas is at the dock to see her off." 

Ami chuckled lightly, then repeated it to Makoto, who screeched, running out of the kitchen, nearly plowing down Hermes. She didn't forget the bag of spices.   


Boreas, much to Makoto's immense delight, gave her a kiss on the cheek good-bye. _Oh, are we going to be hearing about that for the whole of the Silver Millennium...._

"You know, Ami-chan?" 

"Yes?" 

Makoto slumped over the rail, watching the retreating edge of the island, a hand pressed to her cheek where she had been kissed, green eyes full of stars. "I think Boreas looked better than sempai...." 

"He did." 

"Huh?" 

Ami clamped a hand over her mouth, blushing. "I didn't mean it like that!"   
  


On the ridge that watched over the sea, three figures, two grown men, the other a young girl, stood watching the ship leave. The winds played at their hair and clothing, tossing it about them. "It is polite," Aedon said to the two men, "to give visitors gifts. Is that not hospice? Gifts usually help the traveler on their way. It would be kind if someone would give Hermes, Ami and Makoto such a present. Don't you agree?" 

The two men looked at the petite girl standing beside them, who still let her eyes linger on the bright edge of the horizon. The youthfulness in her face had gone from a gentle spring breeze to a brisk winter chill. She turned abruptly, her skirts swirling in a lavender cloud after her as she descended the crest of the hill, returning to the palace and her father. 

Boreas said to Notus, "He said to do what she says. I'm for it." 

"Yeah, and notice that if we do, the old man gets off? And Poseidon, if he catches us at it, would happily oversee our asses kicked to straight to Tatarus. What makes you so eager?" 

Boreas glared at him. 

Notus laughed, his wild hair flying around his head. "You like the feisty one!" 

"Shut up and help me, or I'll pound you back into that pathetic little gust of hot air you are." 

Notus, still chuckling, took his place beside the god of the North Wind. "We don't even know where they're going, you know." 

"Through the strait. They'll have to manage it from there." 

Notus shrugged and joined Boreas in his power.   


Moments later, as Ami was about to settle herself down at the tiller with Hermes, a galestorm of freezing wind blasted into the sail, sending Seastrider, along with Ami, flying forward. She landed directly on top of Hermes. Makoto was desperately trying to fix the sail to catch the easterly wind. She didn't see Ami blush and Hermes stutter as he helped to upright the blue haired girl. 

"He sent wind!" Makoto shouted over the sound of air rushing rapidly around them. 

"Keep to the tiller. I'll help Mako-chan," Ami told Hermes, then rushed away to help tame the flying rope.   
  
  


~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~o~O~o~ 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scriptoriumfanfics/ 

  
  
  
  



	9. Beauty of Water

Ami's Odyssey   


_The thundering waves are calling me home to you_   
_The pounding sea is calling me home to you._

_I heard your voice singing_   
_Your eyes danced the song_   
_Your hands played the tune_   
_T'was a vision before me._

_We left the music behind and the dance carried on_   
_As we stole away to the seashore_   
_We smelt the brine, felt the wind in our hair_   
_And with sadness you paused._

_Sudenly I knew that you'd have to go_   
_My world was not yours, your eyes told me so_   
_Yet it was there I felt the crossroads of time_   
_And I wondered why._   
_As we cast our gaze on the tumbling sea_   
_A vision came o'er me_   
_Of thundering hooves and beating wings_   
_In clouds above._

_As you turned to go I heard you call my name._   
_You were like a bird in a cage, spreading its_   
_Wings to fly_   
_"The old ways are lost" you sang as you flew_   
_And I wondered why...._

_-"The Old Ways"_   
_Music and Lyrics by Loreena McKennitt"_

  
  
  
  


Chapter 8 - Beauty of Water   


They spent three days at Aegae. 

That was the length of time it took for Ami, Hermes and Makoto to drift among the seafolk of the city, making small inquiries and listening to rumors. Aegae was a sprawling city, climbing its way up the hill it sat upon, men and women clambering in the marketplace. Hermes had been the one to get the most reliable information, a ships captain who cared to relive his moments of glory, for once, on a voyage, he swore that he saw the Earth-Shaker driving his horse drawn chariot over the waters, calming them as he wound his way to an island on the horizon. 

"So it does exist," Hermes had told Ami and Makoto as they began their trip again. The winds around Aegae remained brisk, sweeping the vessels at dock out to the searoads they wished to travel. 

Now they had passed beyond sight of the edge of the land, the city's bustling noise fading into the sea. Clouds of white rose overhead, the sun peering through their curtain. The sail was full out, a graceful crescent urging them onwards. Hermes was at the tiller, navigating them along. 

Ami was at the prow, eyes downcast into the reflections of light the sun cast onto the water, the brightness shining up into her face. Makoto leaned up against the rail beside her, watching her outline as she talked. "This is nuts, Ami-chan. We don't know if that guy Hermes talked to was reliable, and looking back and forth for land isn't-" 

"Mako-chan, please. I'm sorry, but I need quiet now." Ami did not look away from the water, leaving Makoto with a hurt expression. Makoto took on a questioning look a moment later, but backed away as Ami had requested. She checked the sail with a glance, then decided to settle herself opposite Hermes. Nothing else to do, save scan the horizon. A needle in a haystack, she decided. She let herself look at Hermes a moment as she sat down. He was stretched out, legs crossed at the ankles, hands tucked behind his head. He looked perfectly calm. 

"You look a little too sure of yourself," Makoto told him, knowing he wouldn't understand her. 

Hermes arched an eyebrow at the ponytailed girl beside him, shrugged. "No clue what you said, Makoto. But you look worried. Relax. No point getting nervous unless you know you're going to get killed or something, right?" He yawned and returned to scanning the sea. 

Makoto frowned. She knew, by the tone of his voice and his posture that he was encouraging her boredly, taking a slightly superior attitude even as he was trying to sound nice. She watched his profile. The straight nose, sculpted chin and defined brows. A noble face, if usually looking despondent as it was now. Not her type, Makoto decided, rolling her eyes after a moment of thinking about what she had just thought. However, after a moment, she noticed how unusually often Hermes was turning his wandering eyes across Ami's still form at the prow. 

It was at such a moment that Makoto saw Ami straighten from her preoccupation with the water, a look of determination set on her face. Hermes was up and moving instantly, saying something to her. Ami appeared to give Hermes an order, which, much to Makoto's surprise, he followed, returning to angle the rudder north. 

"Ami-chan?" 

Ami turned away from watching Hermes and looked at her. "We're heading north. There's an...anomaly...in the sea. It might be an island." 

"You know that from staring at the water? Without the Mercury computer?" 

Ami shifted, placing a hand in a gesture of nervousness over the smooth coils of the Medusa brooch, a motion Makoto had noticed Ami had picked up whenever she was considering something. She did not meet Makoto's eyes. Ami's reply was cryptic, if blunt. "Yes."   


It was an island, as Ami had predicted. Sheer drop cliffs walled the interior off from travelers. A thin strip of rocky beach was found to the westerly side, amid clashing rocks. Hermes steered them through, Seastrider taking a few blows to the hull, which, luckily, did not breach. There, where the rocks met the wall of stone, a long, narrow gash had been torn, an entrance that would be submerged in the sea at high tide. This was where they decided to enter. White foam smashed around them as they ran Seastrider onto the beach, anchoring it as best they could. 

"Ames, take a weapon!" Hermes argued, sounding angry at her incessant refusals. 

"A knife is fine, Hermes." 

"Ami-chan, please take something," Makoto, from Hermes' irate shouting and waving of a sword, guessed what the problem was. "You don't have any powers." 

"I have the aegis. And I will take a knife. That is enough," she tapped the blade that had been strapped to her forearm. 

Shaking his head, Hermes knew what she was saying in Japanese. "You're insane. I think you took a couple hits to the head you didn't tell me about."   
Ami shook her head and refused to answer him. "Mako-chan, you'd better henshin." 

"Right. Jupiter Crystal Power! Make-up!" 

Electricity enveloped Makoto, shortening her skirt, forming a bow, a tiara and star-decorated choker. "Ready," she announced as the transformation sequence completed. 

Hermes tested his sword for a moment, then nodded. "Ready. Let's go." 

"Wait," said Ami, who began to sift through their stores. When she stood, she held a blanket, which she promptly began to tear into strips. 

"What are you doing, Ames?" 

"It's pretty dark looking. We'll need torches." 

Ami, followed by Hermes and Makoto, strode off the ship, searching up and down the small expanse for driftwood. She found what she needed, a tangled piece warped from sea salt, that had branches reaching out from the knotted center. Bracing her foot against the middle, she broke off a branch length for each of them, wrapping the strip of blanket around one end. "Anyone have a match?" 

"A what?" Hermes asked. Makoto stared, not understanding Hellenic. 

_Oops. Matches don't exist yet. _"Wait. I'll be right back," she hurried back up into the ship. Within the brazier, several embers were glowing orange dully, and she held the end of one of the torches against these coals until it lit, a tiny tendril of fire ribboning itself up the cloth. The torch began to glow. Ami headed back to Hermes and Makoto, who were waiting at the plank. Handing them the other two, Ami lit the torches. 

"Now we can go."   


Rocks crunched underfoot as they made their way to the gash, watching the black expanse warily. _Nothing charging out of it, at least. Hopefully, the Kraken is still trapped in the aegis. He must know that we're here. Unless I have made a serious blunder and this is not the island. But...it is. I'm sure of it. The water.___

Torchlit, the cave opened up before them, the walls smooth from centuries of the sea carving away at the stone. Water, ever slow, but steady in its desires, willing to spend eons wearing away at the boundaries and barriers of its realm. Even here, the place claimed by the god of the sea, it does not cease its function. The crashing of the waves echoed down to the three of them, revibrating off the low ceiling. Ami could just stand straight, her hair lightly brushing the rock above her. Hermes and Sailor Jupiter were forced to keep their heads down, each of them holding their torch just before them like a ward against the blackness. 

The light that fell through the opening grew dimmer as they passed deeper into the interior of the island. Grey, then gone, the only light the reddish orange glow that came from their hands. 

They walked forward steadily, hearing the sounds of dripping water pattering onto the floor, the muffled thundering of the water behind them.   
_ Two hundred and twenty two steps in. Twenty three. Twenty four. Who knows how deep this place will go? Twenty five. Another step. Twenty six. Remember the count. If we get lost, then I will have at least some perception of how far in we are. Twenty seven. Twenty eight.___

Ami halted. Jupiter slammed into her. Realized that he was not being followed, Hermes stopped after a step. Shadows cast deep into the hollows of his face. "Ames, what's wrong?" 

"Water," she stepped forward, around Hermes. Lifting her torch before her, she took a few more paces forward, then held the flames up. They filled a high cavern with torchlit shades, which grew stronger as Hermes and Jupiter added the strength of their fires to hers. A oblong mirror lake stretched across the space before them. Undisturbed, it reflected the ceiling to a state of perfection, stalactites and stalagmites doubling their number though the lake's illusion. The lip of the lake was drawn away from the walls, revealing darkened archways, symbols cut deep into the apex of each arch. They bent their way around the whole of the lake. 

_ Which one? Which way to Poseidon in this labyrinth? _Closing her eyes halfway, Ami leaned closer to the water, placing her fingertips onto the reflective surface, tiny ripples waving away from the disturbed spot. 

She gasped at the water's coldness. "What?" she exclaimed as the water grabbed at her. "Jupiter!" 

Out of the water, a slinky jet scaled form coiled upward. It had no eyes, nor did it need any in the ever pitch blackness of the cave, an adaptation to its bleak habitat. A mouth lensed open from the rising end, as its tail snaked out of the water around Ami's wrist. It pulled, hauling her off balance and into the water. The torch fell from her fingers, smoking out as it hissed in the water. "Hermes!" she choked, then was cut off as she went under the surface, the head of the creature following silently. 

Under the water she was plunged, the whiteness of her clothes a grey spot from where Hermes and Jupiter stood. Jupiter charged forward, dropping her torch. "Wait!" Hermes grabbed her arm, hauling her back with all his strength as Jupiter resisted him. "No. No!" He forced Jupiter to look into his eyes, to see the intensity there. He knew she would not understand his speech, but the sound of his voice and the urgency in it would have to be enough. "No. We find another way. This is his domain. His rules. Unless you can breathe underwater, there's no way to get her out. Understand? We search the tunnels." 

Jupiter's eyes narrowed as she watched the cold fury in Hermes' face. It was an unusual look for him, and she was wary of it. She looked at the bubbles in the water of the lake. Hermes, she thought to herself, knew this strange god of the sea. She did not. The sharpness in his voice warned her. He was gesturing at the tunnels around the lake. Perhaps one of them would lead to Ami. And she wondered how long it would be to find her. If they could at all.   


Oxygen was being replaced by the harsh tang of saltwater. Ami choked as the water invaded her lungs, the final gasp of air she had taken in being squeezed out of her by the tightening iron coils of Poseidon's sea serpent. _All this way, only to die of axphixiation...not like this. Not like this...! _ Her hand, to which her blood was being cut off, was pulled along the slick scales of the water snake, tucking it tightly under and flattening it against her chest. Her hand traveled with painful slowness to her opposite arm, fingers clasping around the hilt of her knife. Weakly. Hair floated into her face, around it, haloing her in blue waves. 

Fingernails scraped against the hilt, reaching for it again as her hand loosened. She blankly stared out before her as she felt a curve of serpent ring around her neck. 

_ Killed by a serpent. Wasn't the sea...no, Ocean, a serpent? Yes, Ourobouros. I wear the symbol on my arm. Elissa gave it to me._   
_Eternal Ourobouros, who swallows his tail. Water endlessly returning to itself. The flowing sound. I still hear it, within me. Water is in our blood. Our bodies are made of water. My body is made of water. I am attuned to it. As I was in my past life, and as I am in this. Elissa said the sea is a cauldron of generation and rebirth. She is right. Nothing may live without water. If I am the water, then am I not a part of it? Lakes feed the rivers. Rivers run to the sea. The seas deposit into the Ocean, which sends vapor to the clouds to return again as rain, falling into the land, the lakes, the rivers. All water returns to itself. All water is one water. Ourobouros.___

Deep into the calm, she exhaled her final breath of air. Then, she breathed into her lungs the water that she had been plunged into. It filled her throat, stinging in salty sweetness. It cascaded into her lungs, pooling them upward in liquid. Then she breathed out the same fluid. The tightening around her body grew as oxygen derived from the water flooded into her body. Fingers tightened around the knife, and with a desperate pull, she drew the blade from its sheath, slicing it outward. 

It cut into the scales of the beast, and inky red blood clouded the water before her face. The coil loosened, and Ami kicked, struggling, forcing her way out of the grip the serpent had on her. Blade down, she daggered her way forward, plunging it in and ripping down whenever she could. 

There was no light above her, and in the pitch, she found the surface, her lungs protesting at the sudden change from breathing water to breathing air. Harshly, the water was spat out, air rattling down her windpipe. Coils of the snake floated around her, and she felt them defeatedly sinking away from her, sending disruptions in the water. 

Something was wrong. She grabbed at her arm. _Elissa's gift! Ouroboros! It's gone!_ During the fight with the serpent, the metal had slid from her slickened skin, floating down into the murky depths. 

She reached up, palm striking an expanse of rock. _It moved me. I'm not in the same place. Hermes. Jupiter. They think I'm drowned. Or at least carried off.___

She looked before and behind her. There was only the blackness. She slid her hand along the rock, feeling it's slope. Behind, the rock angled into the water. Before, it remained out. _I've been turned around so much, I don't know which way I came from. Hermes. Jupiter. They'll look for me, even if they think I'm dead. Now, which way?___

She ducked back under the surface. _I can feel it. The water flows....this way. It's stronger. Deeper. I can breathe the water.___

Ami took in a breath of water, easing it into her lungs, forcing it back out again. It was not as disorienting as she would have believed it to be. A moment of doing this, and she kicked her way to the lowering end behind her. Cold undercurrents flickered over her body, teasing at her skirt and hair, fanning it out. _Water. I will not be Ophelia to drown in despair.___

The tunnel she had entered narrowed, then expanded, and she found herself surfacing. Light flickered in its watery way over her face, shades of gleaming aqua. The dome of the ceiling carved over her head by the sea. A throne, before her, still occupied by the figure it had been when she had first seen it, trident in hand. 

On each arm of the chair, an object sat, each globed in an orb of blue water. The left, the timekey. The right, her Mercury Crystal. 

"Poseidon." 

He stood and brought his trident around, and Ami knew what such and act would cause. She swung her arms down and around, and water arched up on either side of her, sending her up on a pillar of spray. It seemed instinct to do so, to command the water in this way. 

Poseidon did not need to speak to hurl his blast at her. The galestorm hit her as she brought her arms up, aegis blossoming at her need. She was thrown against the wall behind the pool she had surfaced in, held there by the force of the water. 

Seeing it did not harm her, blocked by her invisible shield, Poseidon released his grip, and Ami slumped to the floor, pulling herself up a moment later. 

"So you returned," Poseidon stated, and on a less imposing figure, it would have seemed a sneer. "And you have some help from Athena. Has my niece given you any other powers?" Another wall of water rushed its way at Ami. She did not respond to his question. 

She rolled out of the way as Poseidon's fury crashed into the wall of rock behind her. There was little room to fight there, a small expanse between wall and water. _All water returns to itself. All water flows into itself. No difference between the water that is trapped in the glaciers. No difference between a droplet that once was sipped at a riverbank by a dinosaur. No difference between a glass of water in Tokyo or New York. If that is so, then there is no difference between the water that encases my Crystal and me.___

She looked past Poseidon, past the trident that was leveled at her. Palm out, she held hand before her. "Come." 

"What are you doing?" 

She ignored him still, repeating only, "Come." 

Then the orb encasing the Crystal exploded. 

It returned to its owner. 

"Mercury Crystal Power! Make-up!" 

Something different happened as Ami began to feel the power of Mercury grow within her. A new strength blended into the familiar watery sense. The blank, closed eyes of the Medusa opened, glowing in the faceted azure blue of the Mercury Crystal. The silvery snaky hair extended outward, ribboning over Ami's shoulders, arms, legs. Her hair floated upward in a floe of ice that drew up around her, cascading over her transforming body. Gloves formed. Her bodysuit. A tiara of silver arched over her brows, the blue symbol of Mercury fastening itself to the center of her forehead. The choker's tiny star was replaced by the image of two serpents, swallowing one another's tail. The bow at her back lengthened, lightening, turning from sky blue to sparkling sapphire and silver, as the bow pinned by the Medusa brooch did. Her skirt, boots and collar took on shades of aqua, indigo and turquoise, rippling as the water they represented. She shimmered like the Nile. 

_ The Medusa. Athena's symbol. Athena's gift. Not merely an aegis to shield me. Sign of feminine wisdom, said Anticleia. Sign of knowledge. That is my realm. Champion of Justice and Wisdom. That is my duty and life!___

Her skirt and bow flowed out around her as she turned, her harp forming in her hands. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" 

Jagged ice crystals flew out at the Earth-Shaker, forcing him to bring one arm up to protect his face. He swung the trident around, bringing it to bear against Super Sailor Mercury. This time, no water came from its end. Instead, he struck it against the ground, sending the cavern to tremble around them, shaking violently. 

Sailor Mercury staggered under the unsteadiness of the floor under her feet. Poseidon's face was grim as he turned again on her, the quaking of the rock causing a rift to tear out across the space between them. Water from the lake geysered upward as the dome of the ceiling began to crumble down.   
"I am the god of the sea," Poseidon told her, his voice deep with the rumblings of a storm. "You would have been great, water soldier, had you been loyal. Pity," amid the chaos he had created around them, Poseidon unleashed the sea at the figure he faced, so small in comparison to the sea god's power.   
_The Medusa has given me strength. Wisdom. Intelligence. But it does not come from some carved silver object. It comes from within me. Water against water. What can water do against itself? It can return.___

_ "Mercury..."___

From her head, silver blue light waterfalled around her, sending her clothing rippling outward. She brought her hands out before her, crossing them, fingers as delicately displayed as a dancer's. A river of whitewater fell over her shoulders, winged out from her wrists, cascading over her hips, her legs, clothing her in a dress for a Queen, not merely a Princess any longer. Rippling silk of the color of the sunset sea linked to her shoulders, draped and flew out like the wings of a dove from her as she whispered these new words. 

_"...Crimson..."___

The Medusa's eyes were blue fire, intense as the tides of the sea, linked by the moon's strength. A whirlpool of water formed before her, the shapes of two snakes circling its rim. The chaos of water that Poseidon unleashed struck this cycling mandala, adding itself into the churning tempest that Mercury held before her. Then, as the blast was taken in fully, she drew her hands apart, sending her rivery dress to flight around her as she released the final word, turning the mass she had absorbed into a streak of scarlet. 

_"...Riptide."_

Released, it was a tsunami. 

Shattering everything in its path, the riptide returned all the force Poseidon had attempted to throw, returning it to its source, power multiplied exponentially. Poseidon was caught in this maelstrom, forced back into the thin film of watery glass that had once held the hulking figure of the Kraken. Glassy shards sang against each other as it exploded, the water that it had restrained rushing out to meet the empty space that was now provided. Within the water, Poseidon disappeared, either engulfed or by use of some magic to spirit himself away. 

Ami watched her element approach her in a state of deep calm, the silence of the darkest regions of the ocean where all is black, and only the strongest, most adaptable forms of life dare to dwell. The sea claimed the throne, then cast forward the orb encased timekey that rested there still, sending it coasting along the crest of the wave. 

Ami stepped forward, feeling the water crash around her legs, sending her saphirre robes swirling. She scooped up the timekey, the watery orb slipping through her fingers as they closed around it. 

The water would have claimed Ami as well had not a figure of immortal speed then found his way into the cavern where she stood. Watching the water with lazuli eyes, she felt herself swept from her feet as the first streams of water washed their way over the floor behind her. Wind rippled her hair as they flew along the corridors she had not traveled to reach Poseidon. 

Ami heard Jupiter, carried on Hermes' opposite arm, shout at her to hang on, but her hands held to Hermes' arm lightly, the timekey twined in her fingers. The water that chased after them did not frighten her, even though it strove to grab out at the winged sandals that flew them so swiftly away. 

Through the narrow passage, out past the beach, up into the air Hermes carried them, Seastrider being flung about on the rocks as the water roiled around her. The center of the island collapsed in on itself as though Charbydis had opened its mouth underneath, swallowing it from within. Water flew in columns of steamy froth up from the disintegrating isle, sinking as a tiny Atlantis within the sea. Seastrider, lodged on the beach, anchored to the shore, was dragged down with the island.   


Hermes hovered in the air above the sinking isle. Sailor Jupiter was tucked under one arm, Ami the other. He held them there, his powers returned as Ami had reclaimed hers, watching the death of the isle of Poseidon. Ami glanced down furtively after the last image of land slipped into what would soon be its grave. Hermes' feet were now encased in sandals, ambrosial, golden, winged with white feathers that flew back. It might have looked ridiculous on another person, sandals with wings, but on Hermes, Ami decided, he was born for it. He was holding, with the hand that was supporting Ami, the caduceus that was the symbol of his godhood, a symbol that would one day represent the medical profession, the staff, winged at the top, twin serpents twined around it. 

It was Hermes, of course, that broke the strangely respectful silence. 

"I'm back!" he shouted joyously, and did a flip midair, sending Jupiter screaming in a fury that he was going to drop them. Hermes, of course, not understanding her words, but certainly her meaning, just broke into a laugh. "Ames, you look beautiful in that dress." 

"Thank you," she acknowledged, shaking her head, smiling solemnly at his antics. Not to be put out of his good mood, Hermes turned to Jupiter, who was, at the moment, glaring at him, and said, "Do you think you could use that Crystal thing to get a dress? Because girls," he turned from Jupiter to Ami, giving them his best lopsided grin, "we're going to Olympus for the party of the century!" With that, he took off, racing them into the sunlit clouds.   
  


Usagi slumped against Mamoru's arm. She was tired. More than usual. The mess made by the Kraken/Godzilla thing the day before had made an incredible mess. Clean-up crews were still working on it, and the price of the destruction was growing with every report. It was nearing sunset the day after that particular fight. That day had been just as insane, if not more so. There had been an attack of some even more bizarre looking creature that morning at Crossroads High, showing up in the gym before school started. Sailor Moon and Venus had been there in seconds, of course, since that was their school, with Mars appearing along with Chibi Moon a few minutes later. 

It had been Chibi Moon, of all people, who had identified the weird creature, calling it a Chimera. Later, she would explain she had seen it on TV. Who said television wasn't educational? With the head and body of a lion and the tail of a viper, no one wanted to get remotely close to the sniping thing, which could bite with either end. It even had the horns of a goat, which ended up ramming a few extra doors in the side of the building. Tuxedo Mask had showed up at the most desperate moment, with that impeccable timing he always seemed to have, throwing one of his razor sharp roses at the snaky end, which actually managed to swallow the thing somehow. 

That got it distracted long enough for Sailor Moon to get a clear shot of it. She'd already thrown two of Pluto's garnet colored beads at the thing, and ended up sending a stack of mats and a soccer ball back to the Mycenaean period. This time, it was the Chimera. 

News crews had swarmed the school. Usagi and Minako, who claimed they were together in the bathroom during the attack, became alibis for each other. The others had quietly slipped away in the aftermath. Minako even got recorded by one of the reporters after she said she had seen the thing. That, of course, led to a ten minute description of how weird the thing was, ensuring her a place on the evening news. Minako was ecstatic the rest of the day. 

They had been out of school for exactly two minutes when Luna and Artemis, who were watching Dr. Mizuno during the school day, contacted Usagi with another harpy attack, this time having a Minotaur with them. After Luna had to explain to Usagi what a Minotaur looked like, Usagi and Minako were on their way. The half man, half bull was terrorizing a local grocery store, apparently while Dr. Mizuno was doing the weekly shopping. The harpies had gotten into half the store's supplies, sending boxes of ice cream flying into lettuce heads and bananas from the produce department. Apparently, some very peculiar form of harpy baseball. 

The Minotaur had chased Ami's mother into the parking lot, along with the other shoppers. The result of everyone trying to get out of the parking lot at once was, of course, a car accident and the resulting traffic jam. 

Mars had reached there first, having been closest, forcing the new monster back as she attacked with the "Burning Mandala." 

He had then proceeded to throw cars at her, causing Mars to begin screaming into her communicator for the queens of tardiness Sailors Moon and Venus to hurry up or she'd fry them after this particular monster. 

The harpies, bringing some of the store's items with them, had decided to come outside to play as Sailor Moon and Venus had arrived, and Sailor Moon used nearly all of the Pluto's beads on them, especially since she ended up sending the Mycenaean period a few rolls of toilet paper, tomatoes, a couple cans of Folgers and a nice cherry red convertible.   


After that, Usagi decided she was absolutely not going to study for the rest of the day, and had begged Mamoru to take her out. Now they sat in the park, watching the fountain from a bench. Usagi leaned her head on his shoulder, a blonde pigtail sweeping gracefully down his back. She sighed, then yawned sleepily. Mamoru shut the textbook he had been studying and glanced at his sleepy girlfriend, her eyes closed dreamily. A faint smile tugged at his lips and he kissed the top of her odangoed head. That dragged her out of her daze somewhat, and she snuggled closer, sighing. Then she asked, "How do you think Mako-chan and Ami-chan are doing?" 

"I'm sure they're fine, Usako." 

"Time's passing faster for them. How long to you think they've been there? I hope its not months or something. I wish Pluto had been more specific about how fast." 

Unsure what to say, Mamoru put an arm around Usagi.   


There were other couples in the park. They strolled along easily, some of the eating ice cream cones from a nearby vendor. It would be sunset in less than an hour, and the sky was just beginning to deepen into its evening shades. It took a few minutes for anyone to begin screaming into this otherwise quiet late afternoon. The scream that did reach them was cut off mid-cry, as though the ability to use their voice was stopped even in the action. 

From the path, two figures emerged. They were lithe of body, winged with scraggly feathers that hung loosely from them. From the waist down, their legs had been melded together, scaled, elongated into the shape of a snake. Fiery red eyes glared out across the park, searching. They did not make any direct attack, did not approach anyone to harm them. They merely looked, their snaky hair hissing about their heads as they focused their gaze into the startled eyes of their victims. 

They were Gorgons. 

Medusa's two sisters, immortal, with the same petrifying power of their dead sister. They came silently, cutting off the beginnings of cries with a gurgle. 

Usagi and Mamoru were on their feet, Usagi beginning to rush forward to the people she had just seen turned to stone. Mamoru, however, had searched for the source of the attack. "Usako! Don't look!" he shouted, grabbing her and spinning her around, flinging her down as he felt himself stiffening, face becoming locked into the mask of warning. 

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked the statuesque face, disbelieving. "Mamo-chan!" she screamed at him, clasping his face in her hands. "No! No! Mamo-chan!" 

Intent as she was on him, she heard in the distance the hiss of the snakes. "Don't look!" echoed in her mind. Slowly, she slid her face to the ground, seeing their shadows stretched out before them. Shaking with terror, horror and fury, she stepped back a pace, keeping her eyes lowered, focusing on the stretching shadows. "Mamo-chan...." she clasped the Imperium Crystal within its brooch. Gathering herself, she lifted her hand to the air, calling out, "Moon Crisis! Make-up!" 

Running behind their bench, ducking down, Super Sailor Moon tried to catch her breath, which was racing nervously out of control. "Guys, I need the guys," she clambered at her wrist for the comm. "Rei-chan? Minako-chan Anyone? Please!" 

Rei's face came into view, looking irritated for the interruption. It was her turn to follow Dr. Mizuno. Her expression altered dramatically as she saw Sailor Moon's terrified face. "Sailor Moon! An attack?" 

"The park...." 

"Hang on! I'm on my way! Hang on, okay? I'll be there right away!" 

The line was cut off abruptly as Sailor Moon whispered hoarsely, "They got Mamo-chan," to the blank screen. "What do I do? I can't even look at them! Mamo-chan, what do I do?" 

The hissing was coming closer. "I'm not leaving him. I'm not!" she looked at the ground. The shadow was looming over her. With the ghostly hand, she saw one reach closer. She flung herself forward, rolling, squeezing her eyes shut as she faced upward, opening them again as she reached her stomach. She scrambled upward, aware that a sharp nailed hand had sliced through the air she had occupied a moment before. 

Heeled feet striking against the soft grass, bow and hair streaming out behind her, she headed for the trees, skittering to a halt a moment before reaching them. She realized that the trees may give her some protection, but they also cast many shadows of their own...her only way to see the creatures. She checked the bag of beads. Three rattled within. Only three. And with her aim, that did not suggest good chances. Only one mistake could be afforded here. 

She ran along the treeline, circling. She had to stay to the west of them. The sun set in the west, casting the shadows along that direction. There was a playground not far from her. She ran to it, dodging behind a slide. It took what to her seemed like centuries before she heard the soft crushing of woodchips under the slithering bodies of the Gorgons.   


"Is it good to be back!" Makoto announced as she lowered the timekey around her neck. Like Hermes had promised, they had gone to Olympus. Zeus and Athena had negated his desire for a party, since no one was supposed to know that Ami or Makoto were there in the first place, but he did manage to get Athena to give Makoto a similar potion to Ami's for speech. She was now quite fluent in just about every language, including ancient Greek. They had spent a little time at the home of the Olympians, dining at a grand banquet with Zeus, Hera, Athena and Hermes, all of them deciding on a good nights sleep in a real bed before heading back to modern day Tokyo. 

Makoto had returned herself to her school uniform before they had left Olympus. They stood now in the street before Juuban High. 

"This is the place you live?" Hermes asked Ami as he glanced at the school. 

"Oh no, I live-" 

Makoto cut her off with a laugh. "No, but it seems like she does!" 

Ami shook her head then giggled lightly at Makoto's joke. Then she cast a glance around nervously, running a hand over the white dress Athena had given her at the beginning of her little trip. Hermes, too, was in his blue tunic, but not knowing any better, didn't appear to care about fitting in with the current fashion. Of course, it was also Hermes, who was unlikely to care even if he did know about haute couture. He leapt into the air, hovering there, folding his arms and crossing his legs at the ankles. "Hermes!" both girls exclaimed, pulling him down. 

"What? Can't a god do what he likes?" 

"Not here!" Ami exclaimed. "You don't understand!" 

"Understand what? You act like no one ever sees Olympians or gods around here." 

Ami and Makoto exchanged a glance. Hermes opened his mouth to question that particular exchange, but was interrupted by Ami suddenly gasping, turning to look out across the street. 

"Ames? What's wrong?" 

"I...I don't know," she ran a finger along the cheek of the Medusa. "Something's not right." 

"Turning into Rei, Ami-chan? Sensing stuff?" 

Ami rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's not like that. Something else. A feeling. I don't know. Like when someone is staring at you, and you can't see them." 

She turned around, looking up and down the street. A couple kids tore around the corner on bikes, chasing each other, not paying attention to the three standing in the middle of the road. Ami began to walk forward. 

"Something's wrong." 

Makoto frowned, pushing back her sleeve to check her communicator. "Anyone there?" It fizzled. After a moment, the face of Sailor Chibi Moon appeared. "Chibiusa-chan?" 

"Mako-chan! You're back! The park! Get to the....!" her face looked up in horror. As she was pulled away, Makoto watched a strange image swing past the comm's viewscreen. A serpentine woman filled it for a moment, then she heard Chibi's screech of protest cut abruptly off. The screen blanked. 

"Chibiusa-chan! Ami! The park! Something's gone wrong!" 

"What was it? What did you see?" 

"A woman! With snakes...Ami! It was Medusa!" 

Ami shook her head, grabbing Makoto's arms, shaking her. "It can't be! Medusa's dead! But...wait. There were...are...three Gorgons. Hermes! Medusa's sisters! Could Poseidon have...?" 

Grimly, Hermes leapt into the air. "You'd better get ready. Time was operating differently, remember? He must have sent them through before you fought him, Ames." 

"Jupiter Crystal Power!" 

"Mercury Crystal Power!" 

"MAKE-UP!"   


Speed was not a problem for Hermes. With both Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter tucked neatly under his arms, screaming directions into his ears, they reached the park within moments. The scene before them was an odd one. Several couples were frozen in stone, faces with looks of surprise or horror twisted on them. Mercury's hand gripped Hermes' arm tightly as her eyes fell on two figures. Both he and Jupiter turned to see what she had seen. Mamoru was half bent over, hands extended before him as though he had thrown something...or someone...out of the way. Before him, the marble figure of Sailor Chibi Moon lay on the ground, one arm up before her eyes to ward off whatever had entered her vision. Her Kaleidoscope lay discarded several feet   
away, out of reach of the frozen fingers. 

Yellow light flew above the trees beyond them. "Venus Love-me Ch-" the light died, the way a switch cuts off power to a lamp. Two figures tore away from the obscure shape of a swing set, a crimson skirted Sailor Mars holding Sailor Moon's arm even as they ran, heads down, back towards the fountain. 

"Sailor Moon! Mars!" Jupiter shouted, running forward to meet them. Together, the three of them raced towards the small ice cream stand, the pudgy little ice cream man behind it frozen in stone. 

"Hermes," Mercury tugged at his arm, and the two of them slipped themselves behind the rim of the fountain. Water cheerily continued to burble its way up into the air and back into the awaiting pool, cycling endlessly. Mercury cast a quick glance to the pushcart, and saw Jupiter's leg from between the spokes of the wheel. It was drawn out of sight. "I hope they're okay." 

She tapped her tiara. The blue stained glass of her visor slid over her eyes, and she reached for her mini computer. Rapidly keying in a sequence of commands, the screen turned black, then outlined objects formed. Behind a squat square, the symbols of Mars and Jupiter took shape, the crescent of the Moon wedged between them. Where a blue circle lay several feet from there, two blue Mercury symbols glowed, one sky, the other azure.   
"Ames, what is that thing?" Hermes asked as he peered over her shoulder. "Magic?" 

"Not exactly," she said distractedly, concentrating. Two new figures wove their way into view. Red triangles sitting atop crosses. _Interesting.... The Gorgons are coming up with the symbol of Athena.___

"Hermes, what do you know about the Gorgons?" 

He frowned for a moment, considering. "Medusa, who's been beheaded, Stheino, and Euryale. Perseus left them on their island after he killed Medusa. Far as I know, they never worked for Poseidon." 

_Stheino and Euryale. Stheino meaning Strength, Euryale meaning Universality. Hardly the names of monsters. Medusa was Wisdom. Part of their triad has been killed. Their sister.___

Sailor Mercury, Hermes looking over her shoulder, watched the two triangle topped crosses slowly approach their locations. "Hermes, you wouldn't happen to be invulnerable to Gorgons, would you?" 

"I don't know. I've never gone up against one before." 

_ Perfect. No matter what we do, we're risking more lives. Hermes is immortal, and has his full powers back, but who knows what the reaction will be to face the Gorgons? I can't just send him out there without some idea. If Anticleia was correct, and their power is linked to Athena's, then they are at least as powerful, if not more so, than Hermes is. If none of us can even look at them, how are we supposed to fight them? Perseus had weapons given to him by the gods. He looked at Medusa's reflection to see. But then, these two, unlike Medusa, are immortal. They may not be killed at all.___

Sailor Mercury's hand clasped around the brooch that pinned her bow. She had retained her new senshi appearance after fighting Poseidon. The silvery blue bows and sunlit rivery shades on her skirt and collar. The eyes of the Medusa brooch were steadily gleaming through her gloved fingers. 

_Athena gave this to me. For saving her city. Athens, the city of Athena. She placed her power in it. It has blended with my own. I can feel it. If that power is now within me, and is so closely linked to the power of the Gorgons...well, Medusa didn't turn to stone when she looked at her sisters, did she? I don't like this, working on an untried theory. Sailor Moon, Mars and Jupiter would be turned to stone. Best I can tell, Hermes or I...maybe...may have the best chance of doing anything.___

"Hermes," Mercury placed a hand on his, fixing on him intently. "If this doesn't work, I want you to get the others out of here, understand? Just get them out." 

"Ames, what are you talking about?" Hermes' chocolate hued eyes were caught between confusion and concern. 

Mercury took a deep breath and stood up, clicking her computer to a close as she turned around to face the two sister Gorgons. She heard Jupiter's voice scream for her to turn around, to go back. Through her visor, she watched the Gorgon sisters turn to face the lone standing figure. 

_ Here goes everything....___

She met their eyes. 

And then, nothing happened. Still holding her breath, Mercury took a tentative step forward, cautiously approaching the snaky forms. Her boots struck the stone path hollowly as she angled herself closer. The sisters drew closer together, watching her as warily as she watched them. She held her hands out, palms up in entreaty. 

"You wear our sign," one spoke by way of beginning. "Why?" 

Mercury watched the two. There were slight differences between them physically, though they were so similar. One was taller slightly, her arms more muscular and her chin held more proudly. Her scaled green body had a rust shaded diamond pattern on it. _Stheino.___

The second was more delicate, her flashing eyes set wide in her face. Grey wave patterns overlaid the forested shades of her scaling. _Euryale.___

The voice of Stheino was deep and musical, far the opposite of what she had expected to be high and scratchy, slithering in sound like the snakes that hissed in their hair. The two sisters drew closer together, facing the thin figure of the senshi of water. 

"Athena gave it to me."   
Strength and Universality exchanged a flickering glance before focusing on Mercury again. The vipers of their hair rose in hackles. "And why would she do such a thing?" Euryale asked. Her voice, though similar in timbre to her sister's, was gentler, resounding. 

"Why would she wear the head of your sister on her aegis?" 

Stheino hissed, her tongue pressing against the back of her teeth. She began to slide forward, but was restrained by the tiny movement of her sister's hand. "Athena," Euryale said to her, "does things for reasons of her own." 

"And this?" Mercury gestured to the park of frozen figures around her. "Is this for reasons of your own? Vengeance?" 

"Vengeance is blood right!" 

"But what does that bring but more death? What did these people do to you? They are innocent, Euryale. Stheino. Your sister was killed by a Hellenic man what these people consider centuries ago. Her blood is not on their hands." 

The two Gorgons debated silently between themselves. Suspiciously, Euryale inched forward. "And how is it that we know to trust you? You who wear strange clothes and speak a strange language?" 

_ A strange language? I've been speaking Japanese to them, not Hellenic! And they understood me. That potion that Athena gave me...universality. The ability to speak any language. That comes from Euryale's power. And the Riptide...so strong! Stheino's strength. Parts of them.___

"Without Medusa, you have lost your wisdom, haven't you?" 

The silent hissing of snakes made Mercury's assumption a certainty. 

"She was your sister. Do you think this is what she would have desired?" 

The Gorgons looked at the forms of stone around them. "A portal opened before us," Euryale began slowly. "We thought it an escape from the island we were imprisoned on." 

"And it led us here," Stheino finished grimly. 

_No explanations. No reasons to them, Poseidon? Just tempt them through?___

"Can you release your spell?" Mercury asked of them, face open, guileless. She looked at Chibi Moon and Mamoru. Through the few trees, she saw a playground, where the shadowy sailor suited form of Venus stood mid-attack. 

The sound of cracking reached her ears, and she watched the stone that encased the figures shatter in an explosion of shards. Released, people started from their stillness. Mamoru turned around. Chibi Moon hesitated, watching the twin figures of the Gorgons in disbelief. Venus silently ran to the edge of their clearing, wordlessly watching. 

Other couples and figures backed away slowly, edging themselves further from this scene, until they had disappeared into the trees or felt safe enough to run from the park. The Sailor Senshi were there now. Whatever the problem was, they'd be able to handle it. 

Sailor Moon, Mars and Jupiter peered around from the edges of the ice cream cart, slowly standing. Hermes slowly came out from behind the curtain of water, coming to stand just to the side of Mercury. 

At the appearance of one who had aided Perseus, Stheino hissed loudly and began to slither forward on her tail, but Mercury interrupted her approach, standing before Hermes. "He helped Athena. Take it up with her." 

Charge checked, Stheino backed up slightly. "We have no way to return." 

"Yes, you do," Mercury reached up into the air. From within the pocket of space she had placed it, she drew out the timekey she had retrieved from Poseidon's island. "And with this, you can return to anywhere you wish." 

She placed it within the hands of Euryale, who held it between herself and her sister to appraise it. "Thank you," Euryale whispered as the key brightened in her hands. The portal opened above them, whirling, and they vanished within it, the light enveloping them fully. Within moments, they were gone. 

"Ames, was that really a good idea? Giving that thing to the Gorgons?" 

Hermes was watching the newly emptied space with a quirked eyebrow, arms folded. 

Mercury shrugged, a small smile forming on her face. She imitated Hermes' nonchalance, rolling her eyes in imitation of him. "Hey!" he protested. "That's my look!" 

"And I'm Sailor _Mercury, _remember?" she teased back, laughing. 

"Usako?" Mamoru asked, approaching, accompanied by Chibi Moon. 

"Mamo-chan!" Sailor Moon shrieked, launching herself at him, tears flowing in streamers as she sobbed in relief. "You're alive!" she began to hiccup. Mars rolled her eyes in disgust at the extensive display. 

"Mercury!" Venus cried as she grabbed the returned senshi's hands. "You're back! You got a tan! Oh my God! Your outfit!" Venus, ever fashion conscious, was gawking at the alterations to Mercury's usual fuku. "That is so cool!" 

"Thank you," Mercury replied shyly, nervous at the attention. 

"Ami-chan!" Sailor Moon managed to tear herself off of the still stunned figure of Mamoru, switching her focus from one thing to another with her usual whirlwind ability. "You're back!" Now it was Mercury's turn to be bogged down by the Senshi of the Moon. "You're okay!" 

"Sailor Moon, you're going to smother her," that from Mars. 

"It's okay, Mars," Mercury allowed. "I missed you guys." 

Mars grinned and came over, hugging Mercury since Mamoru had managed to pry Sailor Moon off. 

"Don't forget me! I was gone too!" Jupiter laughed. 

Chibi Moon grinned and wrapped her arms around her. "No one did, don't worry!" 

"Excuse me," Mamoru interrupted, his blue gaze focusing intently on Hermes, who was watching the senshi reunion with some interest. "Who are you?" 

"Ames? I think that guy is trying to talk to me." 

"Hermes, this is Mamoru-san," then, switching, "Mamoru-san, guys, this is Hermes." 

Everyone stared at each other, except for Jupiter, who looked like she had a secret she was just dying to tell. Instead, she said, "Guys, I think they need a moment," she cleared her throat suggestively, distracting everyone. 

"Looks like it's time for me to go?" Hermes asked Mercury. She just nodded, not meeting his eyes. Hands clasped at the brooch, her nervous gesture. "Hey. Relax. It's not like I won't be back," he chuckled, and in his hand, a timekey appeared. 

"Hermes? Where did you get that?" 

"Hey!" Jupiter shrieked, checking the thin silver chain around her neck. It was lacking its key. "You baka! You stole my-!" 

Hermes shrugged, grinning devilishly. He gave Sailor Mercury his best lopsided grin while Mars and Venus attempted to restrain Jupiter from pummeling him into the ground for his thievery. They didn't understand everything that was happening, since Hermes had been speaking, of course, in his native Hellenic. 

Mercury shook her head in despair. "All that, and you still haven't learned anything, have you?" 

Flippantly, he agreed, "Nope." 

"Don't do anything stupid, Hermes." 

"Stupid? Now why would I do something stupid?" 

Mercury sighed. "Just don't, Hermes. Promise?" 

"On the Styx. But allow me one last stupidity, please." 

"And what is that?"   


The mouths of five shocked Sailor Senshi and one non-transformed Tuxedo Kamen hit the ground when this stranger suddenly grabbed their shy, reserved little Sailor Mercury, dipped her, and kissed her quite firmly on the lips. Releasing her to stagger a step, Hermes grinned one last time. "See you around Ames," then he winked once in farewell, held the timekey to the air, and was gone. 

Mercury placed her hand to her mouth and flushed an interesting shade of crimson. 

Sailor Moon, Chibi Moon and Venus made small choking noises for a moment, then everyone proceeded to scream very loudly, forcing Mamoru to cover his ears in pain at the incredible pitch. 

"Mercury!" Sailor Moon bubbled, all but leaping up and down. "He kissed you! That is so cool!" 

"It's about time!" Jupiter exclaimed, beaming down at the pink faced Mercury. "I thought he never would!" 

Mercury flushed darker. 

Jupiter stared along with everyone else. "He did before?" 

Mercury buried her face in her hands, darkening to purple. 

There was another ear shattering scream, to which everyone shouted at once, "_You_ kissed _him?!_" 

"It wasn't like that!" she cried desperately. "I had to save him from the Sirens!"   
  



	10. Epilogue

  


Epilogue-   


Ami Mizuno opened the door to her apartment, stepping inside with a duffel bag. From within, she heard the tell tale sound of music from her mother's CD player drifting through the room. There had been a stop at Rei's, in which Rei had lent Ami clothes in exchange for the Hellenic dress Athena had given her. Ami had fastened the Medusa brooch to its usual place. It had felt too odd not to have it there now. 

She ran a hand over the outfit she had been lent. _Nothing fancy. Jean shorts. A sea green tank top. Oddly, the brooch didn't look too strange with it. Time to shop again. Usagi-chan will be thrilled to go to the mall. She has to shop for clothes she can wear her brooch with all the time. And I was going to get some nature books, to learn about herbal remedies, after what happened to Xeones. But now...._

"Mom?" Ami called out timidly. She knew she looked different. Hours on deck in the Mediterranean sun had baked her a light bronze. It had lightened her hair, sending faint streaks of white foam through the azure waves. A month and a half of bright sunlight will change a person. Hauling ropes and mast had added lean strength to her arms. Her mother would have to be blind to miss such things. "Mom?" 

Her mother's head emerged from around a corner. "Ami?" Her face contorted in both worry and relief in the way a mother's would. "Ami!" 

Crushed in her mother's arms, Ami felt her shaking. "Mom, are you all right?" 

"Fine, honey, I'm fine. Are you? Ami-chan, are you hurt? Is everything all right?" Worriedly, her mother was searching her eyes. 

Trying to sound convincing, Ami stuttered, "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I'm sorry I didn't call, but Minako-chan was having such problems with math, and I had to help her with quadratic equations and I just lost track of the time at Rei's...." Becoming aware she was babbling, Ami closed her mouth. "I spent the night. See? Rei-chan lent me clothes and everything." 

She hefted the duffel bag with Athena's dress in it, hoping her mother wouldn't be paranoid enough to check within. 

Dr. Mizuno held her daughter's shoulders. "It's all right Ami-chan," she said it with such intensity and forgiveness that Ami blinked. _She doesn't mean about my cover story of not calling, does she?_

"Mom?" 

"I know," Dr. Mizuno began slowly, "that you're...special...somehow. You and your friends," she smiled weakly, trying to convince herself of what she was saying. "I'm not sure, Ami-chan, what to say. But...I understand. It's okay. I love you." 

"Thank you, Mom." 

"That's a lovely pin, Ami-chan." 

"A...friend...gave it to me." 

Dr. Mizuno gave a brisk nod, as though coming to a decision. "I was thinking, Ami-chan, that we haven't had enough time together. I know I've been working late nights at the hospital. I know it's late, but I thought we could go get some dinner." 

"I'd love to, Mom." 

"And we don't have to talk about anything you don't want, okay?" 

"Can...can I have a minute? To get changed?" 

"Of course."   


Ami fled to the safety of her room, closing the door behind her. She dropped the duffel, flipping on the light. A cool breeze tousled her hair, blowing though the open window. Her curtains fluttered to either side. Heading to close it while she changed, Ami nearly dropped her bag on top of a silvery white object on her bed. Setting the duffel aside, she lifted it up, turning it around in hands. "Hermes," she whispered, smiling and shaking her head. 

Two serpents, eyes made of the finest lapis lazuli, swallowed each others tails in an endless circle. It was the bracelet she had worn, given to her by Elissa. With a light laugh, she crossed to the window, holding it in the moonlight, seeing the gleam of the moon on silver. She slipped the armlet back on, letting it rest comfortably on her skin. 

"Ouroboros and Medusa," she told the smiling moon, then turned and began to dress for dinner.   
  
  
  
  


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